HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A College Station father is suing several ministry groups and a prominent fraternity, accusing them of allowing the sexual abuse of his then 13-year-old son.
The civil suit, which is extremely graphic, names four organizations: the Chi Alpha College Ministries, its parent group, the General Council of the Assemblies of God, North Texas District Council Assemblies of God and Mountain Valley Fellowship. The suit alleges the faith groups allowed members and agents to molest minors, including his son.
Daniel Savala, 67, is at the center of this case. The lawsuit alleges the 2012 convicted sex offender worked as a youth pastor and despite him being a registered sex offender, the organizations allowed him to be around minor males. The lawsuit claims the Mountain Valley Fellowship in College Station had ties to Savala and allowed him and four TAMU Chi Alpha group leaders access to children. It alleges in 2021 one of those Chi Alpha group leaders took his then teenage son to Savala's home in east Houston where the boy was molested. That's why the civil case is filed in Harris County.
Two other incidents that happened in 2023 are also detailed in the lawsuit.
Savala is currently jailed in Waco on three criminal charges: continuing sexual abuse of a child, sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child.
The father's attorney, Anthony Bruster, said, “He is awaiting trial for some acts that took place with respect to a Chi Alpha organization at Baylor, totally different series of events. Just kind of proves the point these defendants have known about him and his involvement at multiple different campuses.”
KHOU reached out to the Assemblies of God, Chi Alpha’s parent group, which said, in part, Savala "did not hold credentials with the Assemblies of God and was never on staff with any Chi Alpha campus ministry." It adds it has investigated and is taking "appropriate actions including dismissal of ministers".
The teenage victim is still a minor.
The lawsuit asks for a million dollars, but Bruster believes actual damages will be many times more.