Editor’s Note: Previously we explored events surrounding the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC) scandal that culminated in 1980 with Bill Gothard’s resignation and quick reinstatement as president of that organization, which would later be renamed the Institute In Basic Life Principles (IBLP). You can read the Introduction here, Part One here, and Part Two here.

In our research for these articles, we have worked with a group of former IBYC staffers, volunteers, and associates who witnessed these events firsthand. In addition to the group’s first-person accounts of the scandal and surrounding events, they have shared with us a large volume of related documentation. Their memories, notes, and records have allowed us to write about these difficult events with evidence and accuracy.

This chronology posted below was compiled by the group during and shortly after the scandal. Many entries are firsthand accounts, while others are recorded second-hand, detailing the group’s efforts to record the unfolding events to the best of their abilities under challenging circumstances. We have redacted some names and details to protect the privacy of the individuals involved. The letter codes and blanks used to denote women involved in the scandal were used for their privacy, and do not correlate to the women’s names or initials.