Three Women Accuse Salvation Army of Failing to Stop Abuse

Kristy Wynveen, Lindsey Gauthier and Anna Kozak spoke publicly on November 11 about abuse they say Brian Davis inflicted while he was a youth pastor at the Salvation Army’s local Tri-City youth center. They say the abuse occurred from 1996 to 2002, when they were as young as 11. Kozak is expected to bring a separate lawsuit; Wynveen and Gauthier filed suits in Cook County Circuit Court on November 10 against Salvation Army entities, including its national organization and regional and local branches.

The complaints allege Davis groomed and sexually abused girls and that Salvation Army leaders knew of concerns about his behavior but did not intervene. They claim the organization’s failures allowed the abuse to continue. The women said they hope the cases will bring accountability and encourage other survivors to speak up.

In 2003, Davis admitted in court to sexually abusing Wynveen. He was given probation for 36 months and served 60 days in periodic detention; he also had to register as a sex offender. The complaints allege the Salvation Army did not conduct its own investigation, including after the criminal case.

A Salvation Army division spokesperson said the organization learned in early 2025 of four complaints concerning Davis and had spent more than a year engaging with claimants and their attorneys. He said the claims had gone through mediation and one had been resolved. The women’s attorney said none of their cases had been settled. The spokesperson said Davis has not been affiliated with the organization for more than two decades and would not serve there again.

The lawsuits seek to determine what Salvation Army leaders knew and how they responded. The women’s lawyers are also seeking information from former employees, volunteers, young people in the program and parents who may have knowledge of Davis’ conduct.

Salvation Army Must Answer for Alleged Failure to Protect Girls

Three women’s accounts put the focus on an alleged institutional failure: Kristy Wynveen, Lindsey Gauthier and Anna Kozak say Brian Davis sexually abused them when they were children in a Salvation Army youth program in St. Charles. The abuse allegedly took place from 1996 to 2002, when the girls were as young as 11. On November 10, Wynveen and Gauthier filed Cook County lawsuits against several Salvation Army entities; Kozak is expected to file separately.

The suits allege leaders knew Davis had acted inappropriately toward girls but failed to protect them. The women say the consequences lasted for decades, and hope speaking out will help hold the organization accountable and prompt other survivors to come forward. Their lawyers are seeking records and testimony to establish what leaders knew and what they did about it.

In 2003, Davis admitted in court to sexually abusing Wynveen. The complaints allege the Salvation Army never carried out its own investigation, even after that prosecution. The organization’s response that Davis left more than two decades ago does not answer the central question raised by the suits: whether leaders acted when children needed protection.

A Salvation Army spokesperson said the organization learned in early 2025 of four complaints involving Davis, engaged with claimants and their lawyers, and had mediated the claims, resolving one. The women’s attorney disputes that any of their cases has been resolved. The spokesperson said Davis will never again work or serve with the Salvation Army. The litigation now aims to establish the organization’s knowledge and response.

Lawsuits Must Establish What Salvation Army Leaders Knew

Two lawsuits filed in Cook County on November 10 accuse Salvation Army organizations of failing to act on warnings about former youth pastor Brian Davis. The claims come from Kristy Wynveen and Lindsey Gauthier, who, alongside Anna Kozak, spoke publicly on November 11 about abuse they say Davis inflicted as children in St. Charles between 1996 and 2002. Kozak is expected to file her own complaint.

The allegations are grave, but the lawsuits must establish what specific leaders knew, when they learned it and what response followed. The complaints identify the Salvation Army’s national body, its USA Central Territory, and the Tri-City Corps and allege negligence and other failures. The cases seek to answer those questions through evidence, including information from former employees, volunteers, parents and youth group members.

A 2003 guilty plea by Davis concerned sexual abuse of Wynveen; he received probation and a period of incarceration, and was required to register as a sex offender. The women’s lawyers allege the Salvation Army did not investigate independently. A spokesperson said the organization learned of four complaints in early 2025, had engaged with claimants and their attorneys, and had mediated the claims, with one resolved. The women’s lawyer says none of their cases has been settled.

The organization says Davis has been unaffiliated with it for more than two decades and will never again serve there. That assurance does not settle the allegations about the past. The lawsuits will test the claims that leaders failed to intervene and seek to establish what happened within the organization.