Former Marine sues Tim Ballard and OUR over sexual assault claims
For additional articles covering OUR, please go to ACJ Investigates- Derailed: Operation Underground Railroad
A former United States Marine from Virginia has filed a lawsuit against Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) and its founder and former CEO, Tim Ballard, intensifying claims of sexual assault during anti-human trafficking operations.
The lawsuit alleges that Tim Ballard and another operative, Matthew Cooper, sexually harassed the former Marine, Jordana Bree Righter, under the guise of “The Couple’s Ruse” while on a mission in the British Virgin Islands.
Righter recounts that her involvement began when she met with Ballard in Utah, drawn by her background as a Marine and a licensed clinical social worker. Upon her arrival, Ballard reportedly challenged her with the question, “What are you willing to do to save children?”
Ballard introduced Righter to “The Couple’s Ruse,” a tactic purportedly used to avert suspicion. This strategy involves operators posing as a couple to provide a plausible reason for not engaging in inappropriate behavior with trafficked victims, suggesting that their significant other wouldn’t permit such actions.
According to the lawsuit, Ballard informed Righter that Cooper would act as her partner during the British Virgin Islands mission. The documents further detail disturbing accounts of harassment and misconduct, bringing serious allegations against the organization and its leadership.
