Paige Patterson out as Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President

You may be interested in:

Trustees Unfair Treatment of Dr. Paige Patterson

http://gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com/2018/06/trustees-unfair-treatment-o…

Patterson attorney claims ‘misrepresentation’ of facts

http://bpnews.net/51010/patterson-attorney-claims-misrepresentation-of-…

The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him. -Proverbs 18:17, NKJV

David R. Brumbelow

Regarding David’s comment, it strikes me that the YouTube videos of Patterson bragging about leering at a teenage girl and bragging about getting a victim of domestic abuse assaulted, along with his email saying that he wanted to “break down” a victim of forcible rape, ought to make the case pretty clearly. The SWBTS BOT also made a very clear case that Patterson’s possession of documents belonging to SEBTS, including some documents that should have been retained for Title IX compliance.

Nothing that David links changes any of this. This isn’t a witch hunt, but rather a rather belated firing of a guy with some serious issues.

https://sharperiron.org/filings/060518/34600

An attorney for terminated Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson issued a media release late Monday afternoon (June 4) defending Patterson against alleged “wide-spread misrepresentation and misinformation.” BPNews

Related - Norman Geisler: Why Firing Paige Patterson from the Presidency of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was a Serious Mistake

There is more to this story than many have chosen to recognize.

This paragraph from the Baptist Press News item is significant:

“Dr. Patterson flatly denies that private SEBTS archives were ever stolen,” and his personal attorney has invited Southeastern to “join with him in having Peacemakers Ministries provide an arbitrator agreeable to both parties to decide the ownership of” disputed records “in accordance with 1 Corinthians 6, which prescribes how Christians are to settle disputes rather than using the secular court system.”

(Bert is always right, though … because he says so. Just to be clear.)

Edit: I see I’m a little late posting the BPNews item. But with all the attention to the other side, it needs to be out there. For my part, I continue to neither believe nor disbelieve in situation where I have no responsibility or ability to determine the truth. Those connected to it will have to do that.

[Jim]

OK, so a threat of a lawsuit from Paige Patterson’s lawyer—I guess 1 Cor. 6 just went out the window when it was HIS goose being cooked—is of more authority than (a) SEBTS files being found at SWBTS, (b) an email detailing Patterson’s plans to “break her down” references a woman claiming forcible rape, and (c) multiple YouTube videos clearly showing Patterson bragging about ogling a teenage girl and talking cheerfully about getting a domestic abuse victim beaten up. Got it, Aaron.

(if you want to accuse me of being loose with evidence, um, maybe consider NOT taking comments from plaintiff’s lawyers after their client gets fired at face value…..just a hint)

And on a side note, I guess that Aaron’s interpretation of Matthew 18:15-17 goes right out the window when it’s a church leader being accused, and suddenly there is all kinds of doubt about matters even when some of the evidence is the defendant saying exactly what he’s accused of on YouTube. I guess for Patterson, it depends on what the meaning of “is” is.

And really, I don’t even need to know about the various scandals I’ve been pointing out to know there is a problem in fundagelicalism in this regard. I simply need to look at Don cherry-picking one quote out of a Washington Post article that recites a litany of scandals that ought to sober us all, or Aaron talking about the “madness of crowds” and pretending that public outcry never achieved anything worthwhile, and the like.

There is simply an inherent bias towards the powerful in fundagelical circles, and it is going to bite us where we sit until we get our minds around the idea that this bias is un-Biblical and worldly.

Bert, you’re piling up fallacies at a dizzying rate.

1. Straw man - I didn’t evaluate the evidence at all. Absolutely nobody is deny that evil ought to sober us all. Absolutely nobody claims these problems don’t exist in churches of all sorts. My view of Matthew 18 isn’t in any way challenged. … and more. (Borders on dishonesty.)
2. Cherry picking - Facts (or even mere possibilities) that seem to support your view selected, facts right next to them that are inconvenient, ignored.
3. Ipse dixit - a whole lot of unsupported dogmatic assertion … with vehemence substituting for reasoning. (This amounts to “this is true because I say so”)
4. Cavalier dismissal - dismissing with haughty wave of the hand any fact or argument that is inconvenient to your position.

But it really is #1 that is the biggest problem to having something like a coherent exchange of views. It’s impossible to talk about genuine points of disagreement when they are continually buried in a heap of mischaracterizations.

This paragraph from the Baptist Press News item is significant:

“Dr. Patterson flatly denies that private SEBTS archives were ever stolen,” and his personal attorney has invited Southeastern to “join with him in having Peacemakers Ministries provide an arbitrator agreeable to both parties to decide the ownership of” disputed records “in accordance with 1 Corinthians 6, which prescribes how Christians are to settle disputes rather than using the secular court system.”

SEBTS made a statement on June 4 about that:

A statement released today by Shelby Sharpe, personal attorney for Dr. Paige Patterson, refers to a request that we join in an arbitration process provided by Peacemakers Ministries. The statement indicates that we have not accepted. While we do understand that mail delay or other extenuating circumstances may have arisen, to this date we have received no such request. Mr. Sharpe also references a statement provided by a former staff member associated with the Pattersons in which he verifies he only removed documents that were the property of the Pattersons. It is our understanding that these are documents that were stored in the SEBTS Library archives and are not related to the official Presidential communications of the institution.

SEBTS does not believe the official Presidential communications were maliciously removed from the property. However, we believe there is a misunderstanding on the part of the Pattersons and their attorney as to what is owned by SEBTS under the work for hire doctrine.

The issue with the archives is that official Presidential materials are supposed to be archived and remain as property of SEBTS for historical record. The original claim that I saw is that some 50 boxes of Presidential materials were removed without permission - there is an email chain from the head of archives at SEBTS to (I think) the head of campus security and another, possibly Patterson’s CoS, but I don’t have the specifics with me. That email chain has leaked online as well, and I’ve read it myself. Patterson’s defense only makes sense if he labels these missing Presidential materials as his personal materials, which is what his attorney is apparently claiming. SWBTS has acknowedged that they found SEBTS materials on their campus and now SEBTS is confirming that they are working on returning materials to their institution with SWBTS. I also find it interesting that SEBTS specifically makes a point to note that they do not believe this is malicious but confirmed that something was taken to SWBTS.

(Bert is always right, though … because he says so. Just to be clear.)

Do we really need to engage in this? We’re all adults here. We can disagree without resorting to personal attacks.

[Joeb]

Wally certain parts of the Tribe keep doing the SAME STUPID STUFF. Men who have all this Godly Education and still commit criminal acts. That’s why I fight the verse spouting. No verses needed. Like I said a CIRCUS CHIMP COULD FIGURE IT OUT. Yet men with all these M DIVs keep doing INSANE THINGS. Bert and Jim represent Sanity. I highly respect their opinions but not yours Wally or Aaron’s re this subject.

You don’t know what my opinion is since all I have done is ask questions.

Aaron, let’s go through this:

1. As soon as you put “madness of crowds” into your comment about outside evidence, you had prejudged a whole category of evidence. This is what I’ve been trying to get through to you for weeks. No straw man, and you need to repent of this.

2-4. Right back at you, and for evidence see my response to #1 and your comment about “Bert is always right.” I think that qualifies as an ad hominem, too, don’t you think?

Moreover, upon reading Patterson’s defense more closely, it doesn’t exonerate him at all even if every claim Shelby Sharpe makes is 100% true. The trick is that any documents related to an investigation of sexual assault fall under Title IX, and there are civil and even criminal penalties for failure to preserve documents, unauthorized possession of documents, and unauthorized release of documents. It can cost a school a lot of money and probably even accreditation, and those who are involved in corruption of a Title IX investigation can lose their jobs and even face jail time. Just ask LouAnna Simon, John Strampel, and Mark Hollis, along with Max Nikias, Joe Paterno, and Graham Spanier.

Now according to his own lawyer, Patterson is in very similar trouble because he admits that he provided the documents that are not only related to Title IX investigations at his former employer, but released them to the public. This is illegal.

And why are Patterson and Sharpe doing this? Again, the simple fact is that by taking Title IX documents without permission, he exposes two former employers, himself, and his lawyer to some pretty significant criminal and civil sanctions. He needs to control the narrative right now, as he’s trying to preserve assets and quite possibly his liberty.

Aaron Blumer,

Thanks for posting this information here and at,

https://sharperiron.org/filings/060518/34600

Norman Geisler has made a masterful statement on this issue.

I agree with many that this attack on Paige Patterson has the smell of mob mentality.

You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. -Exodus 23:2, NKJV

David R. Brumbelow

I’ve been an investigator my entire professional life. It’s extraordinarily irresponsible to make dogmatic assertions on the internet (or anywhere, really) about matters you, at best, only have second, third or fourth-hand knowledge about. This entire thread, and all the others like it, are awash with half-truths, idle speculation, inaccuracies, as well as references and citations from and links to individuals who may, or may not, be credible.

This is madness, and it shouldn’t be acted out in public. Social media is not our friend here. It’s embarrassing beyond belief, for all parties concerned, that they have to squabble in public about this matter. It demeans everybody and every institution associated with the allegations.

It’s irresponsible, amateurish, and unbecoming.

I would also caution every reader to realize that every single party involved in this (or any other matter) has an angle to play. Don’t think that, because we’re speaking about professing Christians, there isn’t an angle at work:

• Don’t take anything as gospel truth, and be very skeptical about official statements from institution spokesmen or attorneys (especially attorneys).
• Institutions have reputations to protect and constituents to attract, and attorneys have an obligation and responsibility to advocate for their clients to earn their paycheck.
• Alleged victims have stories to tell, and alleged subjects are always “pure as the driven snow.”
• Nobody spiritualizes incompetence and irresponsible behavior better than Christians.

All in all, let’s be adults about these issues and let the responsible parties handle it. The madness of ill-informed internet crusaders (e.g. “burn it down!,” etc.) will accomplish nothing meaningful here.

Tyler,

So everyone here is “irresponsible, amateurish, and unbecoming,” except you?

David R. Brumbelow

I have no qualm with the reality that not every allegation is true, but to single out the Internet for particular scorn really doesn’t do justice to what it’s become over the past couple of decades. A huge portion of people read their news online, myself included; is the NY Times authoritative in print, but the exact same article loses that credibility when it’s written in 1s and 0s? Of course not.

Moreover, there are a number of things we can believe authoritatively in this case because the evidence is pretty much incontrovertible. Did Patterson objectify a teen girl? Judge for yourself. Did he encourage a battered woman to risk further injury? Judge for yourself. Did he possess SEBTS materials and get them released through his lawyer and Sharayah Colter? Judge for yourself. Judge for yourself. Was the SWBTS BOT persuaded that in the 2015 incident, the “break her down” email reflected interacting in bad faith? You bet.

Notice what I’ve done here; all of the citations you see, except the last, are of Patterson and his defenders directly, or through reputable media outlets. Their only defense here is the Charles Barkley “I was misquoted in my autobiography” defense.

Regarding the notion of “let the responsible authorities handle it”, again, we are discussing this precisely because a number of people tried precisely that, and felt that they were stifled. In other words, precisely because they’re claiming that the process did not work for them. This we know, like the previous information, for sure.

Again, I’m good with being cautious with evidence, but maligning entire categories of evidence really seems to be more of an evasion tactic than a serious way of addressing information, and quite frankly seems to be based far more on prejudice than evidence.

Moreover, if you want a classic example of outsiders achieving something big, remember the Dan Rather filegate scandal? The one where the media unanimously declared that the documents were real until “guys in their pajamas”, noting the “kerf” and variable character spacing that was rare to nonexistent on typewriters of the time, typed the letters in using Microsoft Word and found that they matched exactly? The one that pretty much ended Rather’s career, and that of many of his associates?

Had we “left it to the experts”, that set-up likely would not have been discovered. Come on, folks, open your eyes and your minds, put your ear to the ground and you’ll be amazed what kinds of things you can learn and achieve. Might not be comfortable for the guys in power, but that’s a double bonus sometimes.

Then SI should shut down and lock all comment threads on the topic, and any other threads like it. We should also shut down / hide any past discussions like it as well.

Your move, admins.