The DCCS has issued the following response to a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday, September 7:

Lawyer turned TV producer, Roger Hoole’s lawsuit reads more like the script to his next sensationalized production than a lawsuit. Much of the wording addresses non-legal issues or non-defendants. Member and non-member participants have reportedly been offered or paid substantial sums of money to be featured in this lawsuit and/or in Hoole’s next production.

While, we haven’t done a full review of the documents, much of what we have reviewed appears frivolous and unfounded. Mr. Hoole appears to be counting on a “guilty until proven innocent” tendency in public opinion. However, we don’t expect any of the claims to prevail in a court of law.

The idea of “bleeding the beast” is abhorrent and was never a tenant of the Davis County Cooperative Society. DCCS members save or contribute more to the community per capita than the average citizen, and to “bleed” the government would be bleeding ourselves; this claim makes no sense. Our values have always stressed that members seek to be self-sufficient and self-sustaining, and we continue to encourage our members to strive to this end.

We appreciate the sensitive nature of allegations of sexual assault and encourage anyone who is experiencing abuse to seek help from the authorities immediately.

John Gustafson

DCCS Governing Board

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See additional Questions & Responses by the DCCS Governing Board about the lawsuit here: