NJ Gay Conversion Therapists May Be Liable for Damages

A state judge has ruled that group conversion therapists are potentially responsible for the cost of repairing the damage done by their dangerous and discredited practices they claimed to be able to convert young people from gay to straight.

Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing (JONAH) and its co-defendants may be liable for psychological damage caused to four men at their facility. They may be responsible for up to three times the amount the men paid to get legitimate psychological help to remedy the damage caused by JONAH. Some of these practices included nude sessions with counselors.

These self-proclaimed experts inflicted grave damage upon our clients, who believed JONAH’s claims that it could ‘cure’ them of being gay,” said David Dinielli, SPLC deputy legal director. “These young men were left with guilt, shame and frustration. No amount of money can fix the damage JONAH caused, but recognizing that JONAH can be held accountable for the cost of repairing that damage is an important step.”

This lawsuit, initially filed in 2012, is believed to be the first of its kind, and under the NJ Consumer Fraud Act, the plaintiffs can claim an ascertainable loss and damages sustained, potentially entitling them to three times the amount of the cost incurred.

The services offered by JONAH have been criticized heavily and discredited by every major American medical, psychiatric, and professional counseling organization. One of the major issues with conversion therapy is that it assumes that being homosexual or heterosexual is a choice that a person consciously makes. This is an obviously antigay stance.

At Graziano & Flynn, our consumer fraud attorneys have over 80 years of combined experience been fighting for the rights of New Jersey residents. If you’ve been misled by false advertising or have received a defective product, contact us today to discuss your case and set up a free consultation.