Disturbing Allegations Surface Against Former Teacher and Counselor

Albuquerque –

The career of Travis Clark, a former high school coach and leader in addiction recovery and women’s transitional services, is now overshadowed by disturbing allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, detailed in two separate civil lawsuits.

It is important to note that Travis Clark has never been criminally charged in the state of New Mexico. All allegations against him stem solely from civil lawsuits. Under the law, Mr. Clark is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

In 2012, Travis Clark, then a 32-year-old former teacher and basketball coach at Liberty High School in Colorado Springs, was removed from his job by School District 20 and charged with “sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust,” a class four felony. The allegations stemmed from a reported sexual relationship with student in his class. Arrest documents indicate that the alleged victim and Clark had oral sex at the school. Their encounters occurred during inventory sessions for the high school basketball team, which the student helped with during her off periods, and later, during classes she was excused from with a note from Clark. While the alleged victim initially denied anything happened during some sessions, video surveillance footage showed the student helping Clark four times with basketball equipment and was recorded leaving the area on one occasion buttoning her blouse and fixing her skirt. She later told investigators that Clark made unwanted advances, including touching her backside. However, she reportedly told friends a different story, bragging about oral sex with Clark and planning to meet him outside of school. These conversations with friends led them to inform school leaders, who then contacted the police. A police investigation also uncovered that Clark and the student exchanged 250 text messages over a one week timeframe in late February.

In April 2014, Clark was acquitted of all charges. In an interview with the Gazette, Clark’s defense attorney noted that the victim’s statements to investigators, school officials, and friends were purportedly inconsistent.

The shadows of accusation continue to lengthen around Travis Clark, a man whose career—spanning from high school teacher, coach to leadership roles in addiction recovery and women’s transitional services—is now riddled with disturbing allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse. Two separate civil lawsuits by victims in Albuquerque, each painting a grim picture of his alleged conduct at the organizations that employed him.

The Steelbridge Ministries and Legacy Church Lawsuit: A Pattern of Predation

In a civil lawsuit brought against Steelbridge Ministries, Legacy Church, Inc., and Travis Clark, the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe 1 (D-202-CV-2024-09445), is seeking damages based on claims of negligence, vicarious liability, and sexual battery. Her complaint, filed by her attorneys details an account of alleged sexual exploitation by Clark during her court-ordered inpatient drug treatment at Steelbridge Ministries between December 2020 and April or May 2021.

At the time, Travis Clark served as the Executive Director of Steelbridge Ministries and was also part of the pastoral team at Steelbridge Church and, on occasion, Legacy Church. The lawsuit alleges that Clark began providing pastoral counseling to Jane Doe 1 shortly after she entered the program in December 2020 as a condition of her probation. During these sessions, he allegedly introduced inappropriate sexual topics, questioning her about her sex life and preferences.

Within two weeks, Clark reportedly started granting Jane Doe 1 “special privileges,” including taking her off-site in his vehicle, a practice typically prohibited for new clients. The complaint claims Clark rapidly escalated to making sexual demands, coercing Jane Doe 1 into sexual activity. She believed Clark “wielded the power to approve her graduation from the program and, conversely, to send her back to jail if he chose to allege that she failed to meet the program’s requirements.” This alleged abuse continued for several months.

The exploitation, the complaint asserts, extended beyond direct sexual contact. Clark allegedly paid Jane Doe 1 and other female residents to clean his home and other properties through his cleaning company, Complete Cleaning Solutions, LLC, where further sexual contact with Jane Doe 1 allegedly occurred. Other women at the facility reportedly told Jane Doe 1 that she was not Clark’s only victim. The lawsuit quotes Clark as once telling Jane Doe 1, “I hold everyone’s freedom in my hands,” referring to the residents in treatment.

Intertwined Operations and Alleged Ignored Warnings

The lawsuit highlights an alleged deeply intertwined operational relationship between Steelbridge Ministries and Legacy Church, Inc. The complaint asserts that Legacy Church, and specifically its senior pastor, Steve Smotherman, assumed control of Steelbridge’s operations around 2019. Legacy Church’s 2023 Annual Report reportedly states that “Steelbridge Ministries became a part of the Legacy Church Family in 2019.” Smotherman is identified as the President and senior pastor of Legacy Church and chairs Steelbridge’s board of directors. All members of Steelbridge’s Board are purportedly affiliated with Legacy Church, and Legacy Church executives, including Smotherman, reportedly make all hiring decisions for Steelbridge. Per the lawsuit, Steelbridge employment positions were allegedly posted on Legacy Church’s website, and its employees reportedly paid by Legacy Church.

Central to the complaint against Steelbridge and Legacy Church are concerns about Clark’s past. The lawsuit alleges that in 2012, while a high school teacher and coach in Colorado Springs, Clark was charged with “sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust,” involving alleged sexual contact with a minor female student. The complaint states that Steelbridge and/or Legacy Church “knew (or should have known, by conducting a cursory online background check) that Clark had prior accusations of inappropriate and illegal sexual contact against a minor female student” before hiring him in January 2019. Despite this alleged history, the ministries “entrusted Clark with a role involving another vulnerable population—women in recovery from addiction.“

On June 30th, ABQRAW contacted both Legacy Church and Steelbridge for comment. We also asked whether, following Mr. Clark’s termination, they have implemented any changes to their hiring practices and whether they previously conducted—or currently conduct—background checks on prospective employees. As of the time of publication on July 4th, no response from either Legacy Church and Steelbridge has been received.

The Crossroads for Women Lawsuit: A Cycle Repeats

The allegations against Travis Clark do not end with Steelbridge. Jane Doe 2 (D-202-CV-2025-00385) has filed a separate lawsuit against Albuquerque-based nonprofit Crossroads for Women and its former Associate Director, Travis Clark, alleging sexual assault. She claims the organization was negligent in hiring and supervising Clark despite repeated warnings about his past conduct.

Crossroads for Women is a New Mexico nonprofit providing housing and therapeutic services to women transitioning from incarceration, many of whom face mental health diagnoses and/or substance addiction issues, with a stated mission of “Breaking Cycles. Building Lives.”

According to the complaint, Crossroads hired Bernice Varela as Executive Director in 2023. Varela had previously worked with Travis Clark at HopeWorks, another Albuquerque homeless service provider, where they served as co- Chief Operating Officer (COO). The lawsuit claims that at HopeWorks, thirteen (13) current and former employees raised concerns to the HopeWorks Board about an alleged sexual relationship between Varela and Clark, with Varela supervising Clark. The lawsuit states that a long-time employee at HopeWorks reported concerns about Varela and Clark, including allegations of sexual misconduct involving Clark, to the HopeWorks human resources department. One week after raising these issues, the employee was terminated, and Clark was subsequently promoted to Co-COO alongside Varela. Current and former employees also alleged that Clark was pursuing a sexual relationship with another HopeWorks employee.

Shortly after Varela joined Crossroads, she sought to hire Clark. The complaint states that Crossroads staff members strongly objected, citing independent discoveries of Clark’s past: his arrest for purportedly sexually abusing a student while a high school teacher and coach in Colorado Springs (though later acquitted due to the victim’s non-cooperation), and allegations of sexual misconduct at Steelbridge Ministries.

Despite these “overwhelming objections,” Varela allegedly hired Clark, assuring staff he would primarily work from home and not supervise employees. However, the lawsuit claims Crossroads then performed a “bait and switch,” placing Clark in a supervisory role over the majority of staff and assigning him an on-site office. This decision reportedly led to at least a dozen Crossroads employees resigning. In October 2023, several current and former employees and original founders of Crossroads sent letters to the Board of Directors, reiterating concerns about Clark’s background and suitability for a position with direct contact with vulnerable women.

In October of 2023, Jane Doe 2 was hired as a case manager, apparently unaware of the concerns surrounding Clark. Per the lawsuit, she rarely interacted with him until he was promoted to Associate Director in May 2024. The complaint alleges that in May 2024, Jane Doe 2 approached Clark in his office to discuss workplace concerns. At the conclusion of the meeting, Clark allegedly hugged her, held onto her for an extended period, turned her around, pushed her head, pulled her pants down, and sexually assaulted her.

Jane Doe 2 remained employed for approximately four months after the alleged assault, living in “a constant state of fear at work,” eventually resigning in September 2024.

Further allegations include an incident on September 4, 2024, where a Crossroads employee discovered text messages between a resident and Clark. The employee documented these messages in a report, but Varela allegedly instructed the employee to remove any reference to Clark’s texts, stating “it looks bad,” and did not investigate or take disciplinary action.

The lawsuit for Jane Doe 2 also notes that on December 2, 2024, a former resident of Steelbridge Ministries filed a separate lawsuit against Clark, also alleging sexual abuse during Clark’s tenure there. Following news reports of the “Jane Doe 1” lawsuit, Varela reportedly informed Crossroads staff via email that she would assume Clark’s responsibilities, but did not clarify whether his employment had been terminated.

Jane Doe 2’s complaint asserts that Crossroads for Women owed a duty of reasonable care to its employees, which it breached by hiring, supervising, and retaining Clark despite ample warnings. She further alleges that Crossroads is vicariously liable for Clark’s actions, contending that his position of authority over her employment and financial livelihood enabled the alleged assault.

In the lawsuit by Jane Doe 2, Clark is accused of sexual battery for intentionally subjecting Jane Doe 2 to non-consensual sexual contact, and false imprisonment for unlawfully restraining her freedom of movement within his office during the alleged assault.

On June 30th, ABQRAW reached out to Crossroads for Women to request a comment. We also asked whether the organization had revised its hiring practices or background check procedures in response to the incident involving Mr. Clark. The response provided by Crossroads for Women’s attorney, Stephen Royce, stated: “Crossroads does not try legal matters in the media. It follows accepted state law requirements in the hiring of its personnel. It has denied numerous of the false allegations set forth in the Jane Doe 2 lawsuit.”

Lawsuits Allege Repeated Misconduct, Question Oversight by Those Entrusting Him with Vulnerable Populations

Although Clark has never been formally charged with a crime in the State of New Mexico, he held positions involving vulnerable populations, including individuals recovering from addiction and those recently released from incarceration. This is a critical point because individuals in such circumstances may have been afraid to come forward and report any potential crimes to the police.

The allegations outlined in both the Colorado case and the pending civil lawsuits describe a pattern of alleged misconduct involving Clark. While these matters remain allegations, court filings appear to raise concerns about the level of due diligence and oversight exercised by the organizations that placed him in positions of trust with vulnerable individuals, including questions surrounding their hiring practices.

Disclaimer: It is imperative to emphasize that Travis Clark has never been criminally charged in the state of New Mexico. In the state of Colorado, Mr. Clark was acquitted of the charges against him. All allegations against him originate exclusively from civil lawsuits, which remain unproven as the cases are still pending in court at the time of this publication. Under the law, Mr. Clark is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. ABQRAW does not assert guilt and is reporting based solely on publicly available legal documents and official statements.