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The Sins of Brother Curtis: A Story of Betrayal, Conviction, and the Mormon Church Paperback – April 19, 2014

by Lisa Davis (Author)

48

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This brilliantly reported, unforgettable true story reveals how one of the most monstrous sexual criminals in the history of the Mormon church preyed on his victims even as he was protected by the church elders who knew of his behavior.

When Seattle attorney Tim Kosnoff agreed to listen to an eighteen-year-old man who claimed to have been molested by his Mormon Sunday school teacher, he had no idea he was embarking on a quest for justice on behalf of multiple victims or that the battle would consume years of his life and pit him against the vast, powerful, and unrepentant Mormon church itself.

As Kosnoff began to investigate the case, he discovered that the Sunday school teacher, a mysterious figure named Frank Curtis, possessed a long and violent prison record before he was welcomed into the church, where he became a respected elder entrusted with the care of prepubescent Mormon boys.

The amazing legal case at the heart of The Sins of Brother Curtis shows how the church’s elite, well-funded team of attorneys claimed the church was protected under the Constitution from revealing that Curtis had molested a number of Mormon boys. Yet Kosnoff and his devoted legal team (which included a female investigator adept at getting parents of victims to talk to her) succeeded in forcing the church to reveal that it knew about Curtis and ultimately achieved a successful settlement.

Emotionally powerful page by page, The Sins of Brother Curtis delivers a redemptive reading experience in which the truth, no matter how painful and hidden, is told at last and justice is hard won. This is a remarkable story, all true.

Print length

376 pages
Language

English
Publication date

April 19, 2014
Dimensions

6 x 0.94 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1416591044
ISBN-13

978-1416591047
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Ann-Eliza Young
1,052
Paperback
3 offers from $7.49
Matthew L Harris
43
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lisa Davis is a seasoned investigative reporter who has worked as a senior writer at Village Voice Media publications in San Francisco (SF Weekly) and Phoenix, AZ. (New Times), and has written for various publications including The Arizona Republic, Phoenix Gazette, Business Journal and Slate online magazine. She holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from Goucher College in Baltimore and a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and urban studies from San Francisco State University.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner (April 19, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 376 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1416591044
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1416591047
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.94 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,394,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,027 in Mormonism
- #6,117 in History of Christianity (Books)
- #19,879 in Law (Books)

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Lisa Davis

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Lisa Davis is a veteran journalist and a former staff writer for Village Voice Media. Her work has won numerous national awards, including the George S. Polk Award. She lives in Northern California and teaches journalism at Santa Clara University.

Learn more at http://www.Lisadavisauthor.com

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Richard Gilbert

A Mormon tragedy, fairly examined

Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2011

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The author has painstakingly crafted a gripping narrative about a serial pedophile within the Mormon church. It's really two stories: one about what Frank Curtis did, how he got away with it, and what the abuse did to his victims; and a David-and-Goliath story of a plucky legal team that took on a phalanx of legal talent funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS).

This is a disturbing story. Various LDS leaders knew Curtis was a pedophile but kept giving him access to children--especially to boys, his preferred prey. In Lisa Davis's telling, this is connected to the church's policy on serious transgressions: excommunication but with opportunity for repentance, re-baptism, and readmission. Curtis was disciplined at least three times and excommunicated twice. Usually he shifted locations, and although he was known as someone with a problem, under church policy and belief he had wiped the slate clean. Davis tries to be fair to the church in showing how the church's bishops, who come from the ranks of the male laity, are overwhelmed with responsibilities and untrained in dealing with serious predators.

But, frankly, the LDS church as it emerges in The Sins of Brother Curtis seems, as an entity, uncaring--more eager to avoid revealing its considerable assets than in atonement or in helping victims heal. Its tactics were to stall, to pressure, and to buy off people as cheaply as possible.

In researching the book, Davis learned there are about twenty survivors of this one pedophile's abuse, which stretched over decades and into multiple states. The secrecy began to unravel when two Seattle attorneys took the case of Jeremiah Scott, then eighteen, in 1997. Scott had been abused repeatedly when he was twelve by Curtis, then a Mormon elder in Portland. Curtis had since died. Scott and his mother decided to sue when they learned that bishops had known about Curtis's past abuse of boys.

I hope that by this story coming to light, the church will begin to implement more effective policies for dealing with some offenses, if it has not already, and will become more caring as an institution toward survivors of abuse. The Sins of Brother Curtis is a solidly researched and compellingly written book that shows how a serial predator can take advantage of a church's laudable idealism and belief in redemption.

17 people found this helpful

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Chris Ames

A Good Read, Well Written

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2011

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This was a well written book especially for Lisa Davis' first. It was however a difficult read because my son was sexually abused by his scout leader, home teacher in the Mormon church in New Jersey when he was 11 years of age. It amazed me how close the case in the book was to our case. Tim Kosnoff was also our attorney and he is as Lisa describes in the book, a lawyer that never stops learning and researching to find the truth. She covers how come the church didn't flag his records as a child abuser, how the Mormon church hides behind the "clergy - penitent privilege: an application of the principle of privileged communication that protects the contents of communications between a member of the clergy and a penitent, who shares information in confidence". In my opinion this needs to be abolished, it falls under the first amendment. How the church will spend any amount of funds to protect its image, whether they are right or wrong. The Mormon church is vindictive, hypocritical, judgmental, arrogant, and believe they are always in the right. This book is worth reading if you would like to see how the church works. I believe that a second book need to be written. There is much more to tell about the history of the Mormon church and as to why they allow these pedophiles to continue to abuse the children and it dates back many years and is deep within the doctrine of the church. For some reason the Catholic church has dominated the news but the Mormon church has the same problem if not more so. Read this book, well worth it.

26 people found this helpful

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Reader of Truth

My curiosity in this cult hope they operate, and how anyone can be a part of this cult.

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2019

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Mormons work together, they do not stand for anything bad said about them . Mormons get into positions of power and control . Simply to take care of other mormons. They get on legislature, become judges, serve (self serving ) on boards, especially nursing / medical boards . They punish gentiles who have a false complaint on them . While letting other mormons get a slap on the hand. I have read many books, this one is one of the best researches. The cover up the power and abuse . I do not blame this author for talking to the leaders of the cult "on their terms". Surely they do not want any bad publicity out there, so I can imagine what their terms were. Mormons are running a business tax free. Surprised more law suits do not come out of this cult that puts children as pawns and women as breeders.

5 people found this helpful

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Carol

It was amazing the way the story kept unfolding

Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2014

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I appreciate so much that the author wrote this book. It was amazing the way the story kept unfolding. Too bad it's true--the ending would have been so much more satisfactory if this was fiction. But that's the way real life is. My mom read it and said she learned a lot about how the Mormon church operates.

2 people found this helpful

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Allen

This book reveals the inner working of the Mormon Church ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2015

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This book reveals the inner working of the Mormon Church and is very distressing. I found the book to be well written and very detailed concerning endless legal maneuvering by the Mormon organization to avoid responsibility for repeated child abuse.

5 people found this helpful

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Dufreyne

Outstanding journalism

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2011

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Infrequently I come across a book that is so well written that I feel compelled to write a review--"The Sins of Brother Curtis" is one such occasion. Lisa Davis' account of the battle between the LDS church and multiple victims of child abuse is skillfully written to include minute details of the case while maintaining a coherent theme throughout. The struggle between the lawyer for the plaintiff, Tim Kosnoff, and the legal team representing the LDS church is epoch. The determination put forth by Kosnoff, et al is truly inspiring to anyone who has attempted to champion a cause greater than their own. I highly recommend this true story.

7 people found this helpful

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