Long has close ties to NCCU

The road is looking tough for embattled mega-church bishop Eddie Long — the 57-year-old Georgia-based bishop embroiled in an alleged sex scandal with four young men.

Long has deep ties to N.C. Central University.

From 2002-2004, Long  served as a member of NCCU's board of trustees.

In 2003, Long donated $50,000 to NCCU and in 2004 he delivered the fall commencement speech, in which he told Eagles "NCCU is a school that can turn anybody into somebody. I am a living testimony."

Long holds a master's of divinity degree from Atlanta's Interdenominational Theological Center and an honorary doctorate from NCCU. He pledged $1 million to NCCU in August 2008.

He grew up in Huntersville, N.C., and graduated from NCCU in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

On Sept. 21, it appeared that Long's empire was in trouble when Maurice Robinson, 20, and Anthony Flagg, 21, filed a civil law suit claiming that Long had used his position as a spiritual leader to perform sexual acts on them in exchange for trips and lavish gifts, including a Ford Mustang, and meetings with celebrities including Chris Tucker and Tyler Perry.

The young men alleged that Long convinced them that sex with him would be part of a healthy spiritual life.

The two men were 17 and 18 at the time. In Georgia, 16 is the legal age to give sexual consent.

Another church member, Spencer LeGrande, 22, claims in another lawsuit that Long initiated sex with him during a trip to Kenya.

According to LeGrande, both he and Long took Ambien, a sleep aid. According to LeGrande, Long then kissed and touched him.

LeGrand claims that he and Long slept in bed together for the remainder of the trip.

Jamal Parris, 23, was the first victim to make public allegations.

Parris claims Long  started a slow sexual seduction when he was 14 years old.  According to Parris, the seductions became more aggressive as he got older.

Each of the men claimed that Long said to call him "daddy" and to trust him as their spiritual guide.

"Finally you have a father that you've always wanted for and always dreamed of," Parris said in an interview with Atlanta's Fox 50.

"He would just walk away from you if you don't give him what he wants. So you end up turning into something you never thought you would be, which is now a slave to a man that you love," he said.

Some of the counts Long is being sued for include fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Long's lawyer denies the allegations.

"Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more," Long said, quoting the book of Job during an hour-long sermon at his church last Sunday.

Long said the accusations would not prevent the church from doing its work and that he would fight the allegations.

Long established his church, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, in 1987 when he took over a small church in the Atlanta suburbs with just 300 members. Now the church has about 30,000 members.

The church is renowned for attracting Atlanta's African-American celebrities, athletes and political figures.

Long's mega-church houses a gym and a Youth Academy for 13-18-year-old boys.

The stated purpose of the academy is to train young men to love and lead them on their "masculine journey."

Long has been a harsh critic of homosexuality.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization founded to promote civil rights, Long  is "one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay movement."

Many members of New Birth Missionary Baptist have rallied behind Long and commented on the church's Facebook page.

"We all know these allegations are Not True. The devil is a liar!!! This is nothing but a distraction from the (pit of hell) enemy," wrote AnnMarie Truly-Blessed.

But some NCCU students are harshly critical.

"People in his position should take in consideration the consequences of their action,'" said NCCU psychology junior Fletcher McIntyre.

"He should be stripped of every award he has."