ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A woman claims she was sexually abused at a local nonprofit while trying to overcome addiction. 

A new lawsuit alleges the former executive director of Steelbridge Ministries, Travis Clark, regularly abused a woman in an inpatient recovery treatment program a judge ordered her to attend.

According to the lawsuit, Clark provided pastoral counseling to her before he started making sexual demands. The lawsuit accuses him of introducing sexual topics and questioning her about her sex life and preferences. 

“It became clear to our client that he was propositioning her with a sexual relationship which she felt coerced into entering into,” said Shayne Huffman, the attorney representing the woman.

According to the lawsuit, Clark began giving his client special privileges, and told her she could graduate early. The lawsuit states that he allegedly said, in effect, “I hold everyone’s freedom in my hands.”

“If he decided she did not meet the requirements of the program, he could contact her probation officer and the consequences were she could go back to jail, so that loomed over her head,” Huffman said.

The lawsuit says the woman did leave the program early because of the alleged abuse, and she ended up back in jail.

The lawsuit is also against Legacy Church, as Steelbridge is part of the Legacy Church family. 

KOB 4 reached out to Legacy Church. The church’s attorney sent a letter stating, “the lawsuit is riddled with spurious allegations.” The attorney also stated they will send a statement Wednesday on behalf of the church and Steelbridge.