Christian School Faulted for Halting Abuse Study

[highplainsdem]

Source: NY Times

GREENVILLE, S.C. — For decades, students at Bob Jones University who sought counseling for sexual abuse were told not to report it because turning in an abuser from a fundamentalist Christian community would damage Jesus Christ. Administrators called victims liars and sinners.

All of this happened until recently inside the confines of this insular university, according to former students and staff members who said they had high hopes that the Bob Jones brand of counseling would be exposed and reformed after the university hired a Christian consulting group in 2012 to investigate its handling of sexual assaults, many of which occurred long before the students arrived at the university.

Last week, Bob Jones dealt a blow to those hopes, acknowledging that with the investigation more than a year old and nearing completion, the university had fired the consulting group, Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, or Grace, without warning or explanation. The dismissal has drawn intense criticism from some people with ties to Bob Jones, and prompted some victims and their allies — including many who were interviewed by Grace investigators — to tell their stories publicly for the first time, attracting more attention than ever to the university’s methods.

On Friday, Stephen Jones, president of the university and great-grandson of its founder, addressed students and employees, saying, “We grew concerned that in the process, Grace had begun going beyond the originally outlined intentions,” but he would not elaborate. He said the university had not told Grace what its concerns were and wanted to discuss them with the consultant but could do so only face to face and felt compelled to fire the firm first.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/education/christian-school-faulted-for-halting-abuse-study.html

[get the red out]

1. Victim blaming

These people are monsters.

[heaven05]

2. hypocracy in religion

Last edited Wed Feb 12, 2014, 08:30 PM - Edit history (1)

Jesus can take care of himself and doesn't need BJU to 'protect' him. What a crass joke. But what can be expected from an organization/university that is racist, homophobic and who's administrators are liars? Victims called, "liars and sinners". Geez.

[msanthrope]

3. Who will leak the study??? nt

[DemoTex]

4. Systematic, long term coverup ..

No different, IMO, than Warren Jeffs and his FLDS "Church" pedophile cronies. I live in BoJo Land (Greenville, SC) and deal with these people often. Most are OK, but some are as weird as Jeffs.

[Feral Child]

5. K&R n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

6. A nest of vermin

nt

[snooper2]

7. well, women are regarded as chattel in the bible

so I guess they are just following their holy book right?

[Berlum]

8. Republicon Occultism, Sexual Evangelist Style

RepubliVangelists (R) vainly attempting to hide their evildoing & sins so they can go on pretending they are "Holier Than Thou."

[Jamastiene]

9. That speaks volumes.

It is system wide in the Bible Belt. Christian schools are notorious for some of the worse abuses; spiritual, sexual, mental, and physical. They get by with it. It's $. Check around what the most valuable property is down here, banks and churches. Check around who has the most power down here, banks and churches. Sometimes I wonder which ones are more evil; the banks or the churches. In my experience, it has been the churches. The banks at least hold our money for us so we can use debit cards not not get robbed as easily. The churches and Christian schools? No redeeming qualities, whatsoever (their favorite word used back at them.)

Don't send your children to a Christian school in the Bible Belt, if you want them to have a chance in life and not be damaged permanently for life.

Source: Personal experience and PTSD that never goes away.

What I learned in Christian school and in my own hometown, growing up here in Richmond County, NC:
Little girls are meant to be seen and touched in any way any man so desires, but never heard.

God hates gay people.

Lesbians deserve to be raped. They sure told me I deserved it. Even local psychologists told me I needed to "get right with God" when I informed them of my rape to "Show her the love of God. That ought to straighten that gal out."

Gay men get beaten at every chance.

Straight men are next to God, only one tiny step down from the actual God, and should be worshiped.

Women are shit who deserve to be hit, raped, tortured, and abused for life.

Those are the rules. No IFS, ANDS, or BUTS about it. No exceptions.

THAT is the mentality down here. It's no different in SC or any of the other Bible Belt states. The smaller the town, the worse the abuse and hatred and the worse the secrets. Want to know just how bad it is where I live? I have memories that would haunt the most toughened, hardened people on the face of the planet. It would bring them to their knees in emotional turmoil that would never heal.

[elleng]

10. Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment,

or Grace, 'had begun going beyond the originally outlined intentions,” but he would not elaborate. He said the university had not told Grace what its concerns were and wanted to discuss them with the consultant but could do so only face to face and felt compelled to fire the firm first.'

[lsewpershad]

11. Would damage Jesus Christ

only because they treat JC as a commodity.

[Trillo]

12. Why are these predators allowed anywhere near children? NT