Tim Ballard’s wife dismissed from lawsuit over ‘couple’s ruse’ over lack of evidence

Scott Lewis
·2 min read
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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Katherine Ballard, the wife of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) founder Tim Ballard, has been dismissed from a civil lawsuit linked to accusations of grooming and abuse inside the anti-sex trafficking organization.

Katherine Ballard was originally named in the lawsuit as having conspired with her husband to promote the idea of the “couples ruse.” Tim Ballard allegedly used the ruse as an undercover technique in which he pretended to be a lover of OUR volunteers. In the lawsuit brought against the Ballards, the plaintiffs claimed Tim Ballard used the couples ruse as a way to groom, coerce, and sexually assault women whom he brought on missions to combat child trafficking.

PREVIOUS: Tim Ballard’s wife added to lawsuit over allegedly promoting ‘couples ruse’

On Thursday, 3rd District Court Judge Todd Shaughnessy dismissed Katherine Ballard from that lawsuit and awarded her “reasonable costs and attorneys’ fees” in the case.

In his ruling, Shaughnessy stated the plaintiffs had not “presented evidence, as opposed to mere allegations.” The judge stated that the lawsuit only refers to statements from other sources, not from Katherine Ballard herself. Those sources, he noted, are not enough for her to be part of the suit.

Shaughnessy dismissed Katherine Ballard from the suit with prejudice, meaning she was permanently removed from the lawsuit.

“This is the first time the plaintiffs in the cases against Tim and Katherine have been required to show actual evidence to support their claims in court and they were unwilling or unable to do so,” said Alexis Paschedag Federico, an attorney with Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP. “We’re grateful that the court in this case followed the law and dismissed the case as a result.”

“This decision is a win for all Americans and their right to speak out on a public matter like someone accusing them or their spouse unfairly,” said Katherine Ballard. “I will not be silent while someone tries to destroy my family in order to line their pockets. Today’s decision is a warning that unfounded accusations may generate some headlines but they won’t prevail in court.”

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