2nd woman accuses SC pastor John-Paul Miller of sexual assault. Says she was ‘punished’
A second woman alleges Myrtle Beach pastor John-Paul Miller sexually assaulted her as a teenager and then, with his father, punished her for attempting to alert someone to the abuse.
The lawsuit was filed under the name “Jane Doe 2,” who said while attending Cathedral Hall Academy John-Paul Miller put his hand down her pants and touched her bare butt in 1999. He also is accused of putting his hands under her skirt and shirt on a later date, according to the suit. At the time, John-Paul Miller was working as a teacher and helping run the school with his father.
John-Paul Miller’s lawyer Russell Long declined to comment while the pastor did not respond to a request for comment.
This is the second lawsuit alleging sexual crimes against the Mercy Church pastor. Jane Doe 1 filed the first suit on Feb. 25 claiming that Miller raped her in 1998 and then put his hand down her pants in 2023. Attorneys Randall Hood and Mark Tinsley represent both plaintiffs.
Jane Doe 2 said in 1999 she began attending Cathedral Hall Academy, a private Christian school run by Reginald Wayne Miller, John-Paul Miller’s father, the lawsuit states. Wayne Miller was also named in the lawsuit, as well as the school.
Wayne Miller was previously accused of sexual abuse, The Sun News previously reported.
At the time of the alleged assault, Jane Doe 2 was 14 while John-Paul Miller would have been around 20. After chapel service one day, Jane Doe 2 held the door open until everyone except John-Paul Miller left, the suit said.
The then-20-year-old asked Jane Doe 2 if she wanted to play piano with him, which she agreed to. When she went to leave later, he pulled her into a hug and then put his hand down her pants, touching her bare butt, the lawsuit said.
Jane Doe 2 told a teacher and was sent to Wayne Miller’s office where she found father and son waiting for her. Wayne Miller asked her to repeat her accusations, which Jane Doe 2 did. Wayne Miller shouted, “You will not lie about my son,” the suit said.
The school head punished Jane Doe 2 by making her write, “I will not lie about John-Paul Miller,” 5,000 times.
Following this incident, other students began tormenting Jane Doe 2 by calling her a liar, whore and slut and physically assaulting her, the suit said. Once, a group of girls held her and shoved tissues in her bra while John-Paul Miller laughed. Other students would slap her, yank her hair and shove her into a bathroom stall.
Wayne Miller found Jane Doe 2 crying and told her, “Stop disturbing the Lord’s work” and “Repent for your lies,” the suit said.
When Jane Doe 2 was in ninth grade, John-Paul Miller told her she failed “the test” and told her he could help if she stayed after class, the suit said. She hesitantly obeyed, sitting near the piano.
John-Paul Miller asked her if she liked him and if she had a boyfriend. Then he touched Jane Doe 2’s knee and told her he could protect her if she let him, the suit said.
That’s when John-Paul Miller grabbed her and put his hands under her skirt and shirt. Jane Doe 2 tried to run away but the then-teacher pushed her down, the suit said. She managed to free herself and sprinted outside.
Jane Doe 2 repressed these memories until she heard news of Mica Miller’s suicide, the suit said.
Jane Doe 2 is suing John-Paul Miller, Wayne Miller, Grand Strand Academy, Cathedral Baptist Church of the Grand Strand, All Nations Cathedral Church and Solid Rock Ministries for negligence, civil conspiracy, assault and battery, infliction of emotional distress and violation of the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act. She requested an undetermined amount of damages.
The two lawsuits are just the latest in Miller’s troubles.
Miller has dealt with controversy since his wife, Mica Miller, committed suicide in April 2024. Her family alleges he abused her and caused her death, which he has denied, The Sun News previously reported.
Mica Miller’s death has gained national attention.
Miller also had the FBI search his home last year. It is unknown what the FBI was looking for.
This story was originally published March 5, 2025 at 4:35 PM.
