Editors’ note: This article includes graphic details about alleged sexual assaults
Pastor Ronnie Goines and his Koinonia Christian Church in Arlington, Texas, have been slapped with a lawsuit seeking more than $1 million in damages by a dentist and former member who alleges she was sexually assaulted twice by the divorced pastor six months after she joined the church.
Tolu Fadipe, who is represented by attorneys Keith L. Langston, John C. Hull, Shawn A. Latchford and T. Wesley Holmes of Bruster PLLC in Texas, as well as Boz Tchividjian of BozLaw PA in Florida, filed her lawsuit on Feb. 28 in the Tarrant County District Court in Texas where she resides.
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According to the lawsuit reviewed by The Christian Post, Fadipe, who became a member of the church on Oct. 2, 2022, alleges she was sexually assaulted by Goines on or about March 3 and March 4, 2023, after a period of grooming. She subsequently cut off all ties with Goines and the church, and reported the assaults to police in early June 2024.
After surrendering to police, Goines was charged with sexual assault and indecent assault, which he insists were consensual acts with Fadipe. Goines was released from jail last July after posting $23,000 in bail for the two charges, court records show. He stepped away from his pulpit for three months and returned last October.
Fadipe is now seeking damages from Goines for the alleged assaults. She also accuses both the church and Goines of negligence, fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The lawsuit argues that Koinonia had a duty to prevent Goines from engaging in non-therapeutic and unethical counseling practices and from sexually exploiting Fadipe due to the special relationship between Koinonia and Goines as his employer and supervisor.
Under Texas law, Fadipe’s attorneys argue that Koinonia is guilty of negligence because the church breached “its duty to control Goines by failing to implement and enforce appropriate counseling practices, failing to monitor interactions between Goines and vulnerable congregants, and failing to supervise Goines’ counseling relationships with congregants.”
“Koinonia was negligent in allowing Goines to provide counseling to vulnerable female congregants. Koinonia knew, or reasonably should have known, that Goines posed a risk to vulnerable congregants seeking counseling yet continued to allow him unrestricted access to such congregants,” the lawsuit argues.
“Furthermore, and in the alternative, Koinonia was negligent in the selection, training, supervision, and retention of its pastoral staff, including Goines, particularly with respect to appropriate boundaries in counseling relationships and communications with congregants.”
In her YouTube profile, Fadipe describes herself as not just a dentist but “a minister and life coach passionate about preaching the gospel” with an interest in “fashion, fitness and more.” Videos posted on her Instagram page show her engaging in those passions, like working out at the gym.
She first attended Koinonia in August 2022 after her brother invited her to the church. After her second Thursday Bible study, she introduced herself to Goines and shared that she was struggling with emotional and relationship issues after moving to the Dallas area. Fadipe says Goines connected her with his assistant pastor and felt like she had found a safe community to worship.
Shortly after that meeting, the dentist said she attended a singles event at the church and participated in a discussion about how men often mistreat women.
During the event, she said Goines noted that men often have “bad motives” when they are near women and stated that he knew men who joked about how women can be “got” by simply “isolating them from their pack.”
Goines subsequently assured Fadipe that the church community was a safe space that she could trust and did not have to “be so guarded and overly suspicious of the men at Koinonia.”
“Plaintiff was unaware that, while Goines was reassuring her that she was in a safe environment with trustworthy individuals, he was in fact grooming her and would eventually sexually victimize her,” the lawsuit states.
“The predatory grooming process of Plaintiff in which Goines engaged was intended to cause, and in fact caused, Plaintiff to trust Goines and to communicate the most personal details of her life to Goines. Every aspect of Plaintiff’s life, including her work, her fears, her emotions, and her aspirations, was laid open to Goines.”
After becoming a member of the church in October, Fadipe noted that her brother informed her that Goines was asking about her after she missed some mid-week church events due to work at her dental practice.
On Jan. 1, 2023, after a church service, Fadipe said Goines showed “obvious excitement” to see her and they had a discussion about her profession.
“Goines showed obvious excitement when he saw Plaintiff and hugged her. He then asked her what she did for a living, and she replied that she was a dentist who worked during the week at a dental office in Lubbock. Goines showed her his teeth and requested a quick diagnosis. Plaintiff offered her opinion, noting that he likely ground his teeth and could benefit from a night guard. He replied, ‘Really, you’re right.’ I’ve been under a lot of stress, but things are going to improve soon,’” the lawsuit says. “Plaintiff encouraged him to contact her office if he ever wanted a comprehensive dental exam at no cost.”
Goines then proceeded to contact Fadipe frequently after that despite being married. He tried engaging her via FaceTime multiple times and was offended when she told him she “does not FaceTime men.”
By Jan. 13, 2023, the lawsuit says Goines called Fadipe to find out if she had seen an announcement about his divorce.
“He expressed disappointment that she had not inquired about it or reached out to him. Plaintiff responded that she meant no disrespect but felt it was not her place to ask about such matters,” the lawsuit says.
Soon after, Goines allegedly asked Fadipe if she could cook for him, among other interactions he begged her to keep private.
“Between February 15 and February 18, 2023, Goines texted Plaintiff numerous times, continuing his manipulative tactics and his explicit sexual comments and questions. For instance, he questioned her about a past relationship and whether her boyfriend ‘got hard,’” the lawsuit says. “Extremely embarrassed, she told him that she did not know. He then asked her if she was a virgin. Plaintiff hesitated to answer, suggesting that the question was too personal.”
Fadipe alleges that the first time she was sexually assaulted by Goines, he claimed he was having car trouble after an accident and asked her for a ride to his home. She agreed, but moments later, he was able to start his car, and he asked her to follow him home in her car just in case he broke down.
When they got to his house, Goines suggested they get something to eat at a nearby coffee shop, but Fadipe wanted something more filling. Goines suggested they could get food delivered to his home and she agreed to dine with him there. Once she was inside his home, however, Goines allegedly “resumed his manipulation and grooming,” according to the lawsuit.
“He told Plaintiff that his day had been crazy and stressful. He said that he felt angry and upset. He explained that many people had been continually betraying him and turning against him since his divorce. He described his ex-wife as a ‘terrible person’ and mentioned that another woman had called him a ‘narcissist,’ which had hurt him deeply,” the lawsuit explains.
Goines allegedly told Fadipe that another woman accused him of making “inappropriate” advances even though he was “good to her.”
“He pleaded with Plaintiff to understand that he was a good person and she should never question his integrity or intentions. He then tried to kiss her, but Plaintiff immediately pushed his face away and said, ‘No, sir.’ He then tried to kiss her neck, and she again said ‘no’ and moved her face away,” the lawsuit notes.
Goines made further attempts to kiss Fadipe on both her lips and neck, offered a massage, “then tried to put his hands down Plaintiff’s pants to rub her legs, and she told him ‘no,’ holding her pants closed.”
However, the pastor allegedly refused to stop.
“Goines pulled Plaintiff’s bra down and kissed her on the breast. At that point, she jumped, jerked away, and pulled up her top. Goines then stopped, walked over to a chair, sat down, and began talking as if nothing had happened,” the lawsuit explains.
“Plaintiff was in a state of shock, confusion, disbelief, and humiliation. She could not comprehend what had just occurred and was struggling to process how someone who had just sexually assaulted her could disregard his actions and start discussing mundane matters.”
Fadipe says after that, she told Goines she was going home but wanted to use the bathroom first. The pastor allegedly followed her inside the bathroom and tried to sexually assault her once more.
“Goines followed her into the bathroom, turned off the lights and began kissing her neck. He then lifted her up onto the sink and pulled her top and bra down; all the while Plaintiff was begging him to stop. He then proceeded to try and unbutton Plaintiff’s pants, but she said, ‘no’ and grabbed his hands. This did not stop him. Goines continued trying to remove her pants,” the lawsuit claims.
She escaped the home but found herself back at the pastor’s house the following day because she had made a promise to meet with him to watch a play. Fadipe discussed what happened to her with a friend and she decided to use the opportunity to confront Goines about what he did.
“She could not accept that she had just been sexually assaulted by her pastor. Plaintiff began to doubt her own traumatic experience, finding it difficult to believe that such a godly man could truly be a sexual predator,” her attorneys wrote.
As a part of her plan to confront Goines, Fadipe felt that wearing a long dress to the meeting “would make her less appealing and reduce the chance of his acting out again,” but it did not work.
“After the play, Goines suggested they grab some food and eat at his place. When they first arrived at Goines’ house, everything seemed fine. However, it did not take long for Goines to start kissing Plaintiff’s neck and pulling down her bra. Plaintiff felt nervous and uncomfortable as she tried to steady her breathing to prevent a panic attack,” the lawsuit continues.
“Goines then attempted to lift her long dress, but she said ‘no’ and tucked the dress under her feet. He then tried unsuccessfully to pull her dress off and began kissing her again, but Plaintiff immediately turned her face away from him. Goines then pulled her dress out from under her feet, parted her legs, and tried to pull her dress up.”
Goines allegedly climbed on top of Fadipe, “put his hands into her underwear and pressed his genitalia against hers” while carrying out other actions on her body even though she begged him to stop.
“Eventually, Plaintiff managed to escape from his house and drive home, feeling traumatized, humiliated, and profoundly embarrassed,” the lawsuit states. “After the assaults on March 3rd and 4th, Plaintiff struggled to make sense of what Goines had done to her.”
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