In this pivotal episode, we begin our deep dive into the summer of 2022 — a season marked by fresh wounds inflicted by an institution that continues to prioritize its reputation over its people. Shielagh walks listeners through a psychological evaluation prepared for trial, exposing how Hyde Park Baptist Church’s response to her abuse matched every known facet of institutional betrayal: failure to protect, cover-ups, misinformation, and punishing the victim.

Drawing from expert analysis and deeply personal reflections, Shielagh details the devastating impact of being retraumatized — not by the original abuse alone, but by the church's ongoing refusal to respond with honesty, vulnerability, and care. We explore how DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) plays out not just on an individual level, but systemically, and how scapegoating a former secretary became a chilling modern-day reenactment of the Day of Atonement — a deflection of guilt at the cost of yet another innocent woman.

This episode confronts hard truths, including the heartbreak of being re-cast as the enemy simply for seeking justice, and the emotional toll of watching others turn away in confusion or disbelief. As always, we name these patterns not just to expose them, but to create space for something more honest, courageous, and redemptive to rise in their place. Video referenced: https://youtu.be/BddWs7_EA7o Time period covered: Summer 2022

In this episode, we pick up in April 2021, just after the criminal conviction of Weaver. Shielagh addresses a manipulative letter from Pete and Lori Nargi that was sent to her sister, analyzing the tactics they used to deflect accountability and distort the narrative of abuse into one of alleged mutuality. She explores how their self-protective rewriting of history reveals a deeper unwillingness to confront their own failures—and how that mindset sets the tone for how leadership often mishandles abuse.

Then, we move back into the civil case timeline. Shielagh walks through the early discovery process, the emotional toll of invasive demands for her private messages, and the moment she realized that her integrity stood up to the scrutiny meant to discredit her. She also shares the story behind a $3.5 million settlement demand—one she never wanted to make, but was forced to by the church’s own legal maneuvering.

Finally, we see how church leadership twisted that settlement letter into a weapon, breaking confidentiality to frame Shielagh as greedy and dishonest. She speaks honestly about the frustration of being vilified for seeking truth while those in power are moved only by threats to their reputation or finances.

This episode unpacks not only the legal developments, but the emotional and spiritual betrayals that happen when institutions prioritize image over truth—and money over justice.

video: https://youtu.be/EoICQ7k31SY?si=xBap22NQ401nMLv7

Church Complaint Weaver Answer

Time Frame covered April 2021 - April 2022

TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual assault details In this episode, Shielagh picks up where she left off—with the crushing weight of what Hyde Park Baptist Church stole from her. She open by unpacking one of their most insidious tactics: willful ignorance. Church leaders kept themselves intentionally uninformed about the actions of their attorneys so they could later claim plausible deniability. It was strategic, manipulative, and deeply dishonest. They wanted the benefit of a ruthless legal strategy without the accountability for its cruelty. The lies were calculated, and the church community was manipulated by design.

Then, she returns to the courtroom—Weaver’s sentencing. After months of pandemic delays, she finally had the chance to speak. The courtroom was limited, but her support system was not. Her family and friends gathered outside in teal, the color of sexual assault awareness, and showed up in full force. Their solidarity meant everything.

Shielagh shares behind-the-scenes details of that day, and reflects on the heartbreaking pattern of being told she was "too much" for asking questions—something that happened again and again with the professionals supposedly advocating for survivors. Survivors aren’t meant to shrink. They are meant to stand tall, ask hard questions, and demand truth.

She closes this episode with her full victim impact statement and selected portions of the court transcript, offering commentary as she goes. Despite all the institutional failure, Judge Letitia Verdin listened. She heard. She was moved. And she delivered a sentence that exceeded expectations, including a crucial restriction on Weaver’s access to minors.

Yes, the church did everything it could to silence and discredit —but they couldn’t stop the judge from believing. And that mattered. Listener Discretion Advised: This episode contains discussions of child sexual abuse, institutional betrayal, and trauma. Time period covered: April 2021, brief discussion of events that occurred April 2001