Preemptive Love Coalition challenges ‘misinformation and verifiable falsehoods’ in misconduct allegations
The board of directors of Preemptive Love Coalition, a “faith-oriented” global nonprofit that works to prevent violence around the world, challenged what they called “misinformation and verifiable falsehoods” about its role in recently publicized allegations of misconduct by co-founders Jeremy and Jessica Courtney.
“Unfortunately, what has been communicated online about this process has contained misinformation and verifiable falsehoods. As a result, we are providing clarifying facts along with a timeline of events,” the directors of the Texas-based charity wrote in a statement Monday, arguing that it tried to handle complaints about leadership in a toxic environment responsibly.
Preemptive Love Coalition’s board of six, includes two black men, Jason “Propaganda” Petty and Seth Freeman; one Asian woman, Michelle Fisher, who is board chair; Farah Siddiqui, a Pakistani-Muslim woman; Olympian, Lauren Holiday who is white and wife of NBA star Jrue Holiday; and Jeremy Courtney, who has recused himself from the board as the investigation into the organization's leadership is underway.
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“Although we reverently hold space for everyone to share their own experiences in their own words, we cannot endorse false information or misleading statements about Preemptive Love as it affects the ongoing good work of our organization,” the board of directors continued.
Former Preemptive Love Coalition communications head, Ben Irwin, who resigned in July, accused the Courtneys in an article published on Medium last Friday, of running the organization like a cult, demanding fealty from employees, misusing donations, racial insensitivity, and other abuses.
He also accused the board on Twitter of operating in secret and trying to pressure him into removing posts in which he tried to expose them.
“I resigned from Preemptive Love. On my last day, I sent a whistleblower complaint to the board, providing details of the Courtneys' abuse & what I believe was misuse of donor money. The board chair promised a full investigation,” Irwin wrote on Twitter. “I was told the board voted to pursue a ‘third party organizational review’ of the concerns I raised and allegations on Glassdoor. Two weeks later, they announced they had hired… an executive coaching firm with no investigative experience.”
The board has since announced that it hired Guidepost Solutions.
“Contrary to what has been asserted online, the Board has openly and regularly communicated with staff. Nothing has been hidden, and the Board has never sought to operate in secret at any point. Members of the Board have had numerous meetings with senior leaders and directors during this time to provide information,” the organization said.
The former Preemptive Love communications head argued that the Courtneys, who began their career as Christian missionaries in Turkey in the early 2000s, are users who are more focused on building a name for themselves than ministering to the people who they claim are the focus of their work.
“Jeremy and Jessica Courtney have burned many bridges on their way to making Preemptive Love what it is today. You either show the Courtneys absolute loyalty, or you are cast out. Erased and forgotten,” Irwin wrote of the couple.
Irwin said the couple abandoned the Evangelical world after failing to make any converts and Jeremy Courtney heard God tell him to stop preaching and move to Iraq. The couple reportedly continued to accept donations from the Evangelical community, however.
“They continued taking money from their [E]vangelical base. Many donors to this day think Preemptive Love is a religious charity doing religious work. The organization is often praised for its ‘ministry,’” Irwin wrote. “An FAQ page on Preemptive Love’s website notes that they are not religiously affiliated—but aside from this, the Courtneys don’t always bother to correct the record.”
Along with other allegations of financial mismanagement, Irwin noted that the organization accepted $494,400 from the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program in 2020 and then had it forgiven even though they raised some $15 million that year. They also only gave out $1.6 million in grants. He shared a follow-up post on how the charity manages its finances here.
When asked why they had not yet communicated with donors about the situation unfolding at the charity, the board noted that this is because they haven’t yet concluded the investigation into the allegations.
“We expect to receive the results of the inquiry soon, and we are committed to transparency. Until that time, we do not yet possess definitive information to share broadly with our partners,” the board members said. “Once the Board has reviewed the evidence and has drawn conclusions about best steps forward, we will share all relevant information with necessary parties.”
Irwin explained that “dozens of former colleagues from every level of the organization, in the US and Iraq, have left because they were verbally abused or mistreated.”
“I’ve seen the Courtneys mercilessly berate coworkers in front of others. At the main office in northern Iraq, the Courtneys rule with an iron fist, reportedly even deciding who is allowed to socialize with whom outside work,” Irwin said.
“Jeremy and Jessica claim their wartime experience in Iraq has given them authority to speak into other kinds of conflict, including the Black Lives Matter protests in the [U.S.] in 2020. Yet they can exhibit profound racial insensitivity,” he contended.
“For example, when they asked one of my staff to write a curriculum for peacemakers, Jessica Courtney rejected the content she developed to address racial injustice, on the grounds that it would make white people ‘uncomfortable,’” Irwin continued. “Jessica was more concerned with making these gatherings a ‘safe space’ for white women than for members of marginalized communities.”
