Megachurch leader Bishop Eddie Long has reached an out-of-court settlement with four young men who accused him of sexual coercion, according to CNN.com.
B.J. Bernstein, the attorney representing the men, said that her clients have agreed to never discuss the suit. Art Franklin, a spokesman for Long, said Thursday that the pastor settled because it “is the most reasonable road for everyone to travel.”
Anthony Flagg, Maurice Robinson, Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande had accused Long of coercing them into having sex with them while they were teens.
Long is the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Church in Lithonia, Ga., which has a membership of approximately 25,000 members. He told the church several months ago that he planned to fight the charges against him.