Those Long Skirts In Hinsdale? Now You Know Why

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale was never directly mentioned in the four-part documentary about the Duggar family of reality show fame.

But the series, "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets," revealed allegations of inappropriate activity at the headquarters of the Institute in Basic Life Principles. It was at Ogden Avenue and Adams Street in Hinsdale for decades.

The documentary was released Friday on Amazon Prime. It featured a photo of the headquarters several times. It said the building was in Chicago.

The institute's founder, Bill Gothard, resigned abruptly as its leader in 2014 in the face of sexual harassment allegations.

The religious Duggar family was connected to the institute. Since Gothard's departure, the Duggar parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, have been said to be the group's leaders.

Gothard was born in Hinsdale and graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange.

In the documentary, a woman who said she was a victim of Gothard said she visited his house in recent times. The documentary said the house was in Chicago.

Through tax records, Patch confirmed Gothard lives in La Grange.

In the documentary, women told interviewers they were invited to the local headquarters while they were underage. They said they were sexually harassed.

Emily Elizabeth Anderson was one of them. She said she remembered Bill "playing with her hair, rubbing her shoulders and putting his hand on her thigh" when she met with him in his office.

"When Bill first spotted me, I was 13 years old and he was 71. He asked as soon as I turned 14 that I quit homeschool and move up to Chicago and live at IBLP's headquarters indefinitely," Anderson said in the documentary.

She said that when she got there, "Bill took one of his female assistants, he pointed at me and he looked her straight in the eye and said, 'Don't let this one go.'"

Others gave similar stories.

In Hinsdale, some residents seem not to have known what the institute was about. They commented last week on Patch's story about the institute.

"We used to always see (children) walking when I was a kid," one woman said. "I didn't understand why the girls all dressed the same in long skirts and had super long hair! Now I know!"

Gothard still maintains a Facebook page, with his last post on May 23. He said nothing on the page about the documentary.

In November, a "moderator" posted a photo of Gothard at a men's gathering taking place at his home.

The post noted it was Gothard's 88th birthday and said he had an eventful year – "shattering his ankle while pruning his trees, as well as having a positive COVID test (no symptoms, praise the Lord)."

"He is grateful for you all and prays for you daily," the post said. "You are the joy of his life."

The institute still owns the building in Hinsdale, but its headquarters moved to Big Sandy, Texas, a few years ago.

Hinsdale officials have rejected development proposals for the site.