Controversial Leader Lives In La Grange

HINSDALE, IL – Bill Gothard led a fundamentalist Christian group based in Hinsdale for much of his life, filling up coliseums full of adherents around the country.

These days, he lives quietly on Arlington Avenue in La Grange.

In 2014, he abruptly resigned as head of the Institute in Basic Life Principles, which he founded, in the face of sexual harassment allegations. Its most famous supporters were the Duggar family, of reality show fame.

Gothard lives a few blocks from Lyons Township High School, where he graduated in the 1950s.

On Friday, Amazon Prime released a four-part documentary titled "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets." It revealed allegations of inappropriate activity at the headquarters of the institute. It was at Ogden Avenue and Adams Street in Hinsdale for decades.

The religious Duggar family was connected to the institute. Since Gothard's departure, the Duggar parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, have been said to be the group's leaders.

In the documentary, a woman who said she was a victim of Gothard said she visited his house in recent times. The documentary said the house was in Chicago, but it likely was the one in La Grange.

Through tax records, Patch confirmed Gothard's home is in La Grange. He takes a homestead tax exemption, which means he lives there.

In the documentary, women told interviewers they were invited by Gothard to the Hinsdale headquarters while they were underage. They said they were sexually harassed.

Emily Elizabeth Anderson was one of them. She said she remembered Bill "playing with her hair, rubbing her shoulders and putting his hand on her thigh" when she met with him in his office.

"When Bill first spotted me, I was 13 years old and he was 71. He asked as soon as I turned 14 that I quit homeschool and move up to Chicago and live at IBLP's headquarters indefinitely," Anderson said in the documentary.

She said that when she got there, "Bill took one of his female assistants, he pointed at me and he looked her straight in the eye and said, 'Don't let this one go.'"

Others gave similar stories.

In Hinsdale, some residents seem not to have known what the institute was about. They commented last week on Patch's story about the institute.

"We used to always see (children) walking when I was a kid," one woman said. "I didn’t understand why the girls all dressed the same in long skirts and had super long hair! Now I know!"

Gothard still maintains a Facebook page, with his last post on May 23. He said nothing on the page about the documentary.

In November, a "moderator" posted a photo of Gothard at a men's gathering taking place at his home.

The post noted it was Gothard's 88th birthday and said he had an eventful year – "shattering his ankle while pruning his trees, as well as having a positive COVID test (no symptoms, praise the Lord)."

"He is grateful for you all and prays for you daily," the post said. "You are the joy of his life."

The institute still owns the building in Hinsdale, but its headquarters moved to Big Sandy, Texas, a few years ago.

Hinsdale officials have rejected development proposals for the site.