PCC denies "allegations"

[T Howard]

The second issue I have is that the outrage is entirely focused on PCC and not the actual RAPIST(S)!?!? In one story the rapist is purportedly now a pastor. Where’s the outrage against this pastor? Why hasn’t he been publicly outed and prosecuted? Why go after PCC and not the rapist(s)?

Because they were victimized, and now they’re vengeful. It’s not about the abuse - it’s about settling scores, with the school and whomever else they see as targets. It’s about bitterness and revenge.

Grace, If you “Know of a case” what is the name of the abuser that is in prison. What is the location. Protect the innocent we don’t need to know their name but hang the perp out to face his humiliation. It is public record in that jurisdiction. Otherwise what you said is just “hear say”.

Mark Smith, because of a seminar that BJU hosted at BJU a year ago I would be shocked if they don’t have a policy of calling the police right away. All of the speakers told those attending the seminar to call the police. Also, about three years ago they did call the police and have someone arrested in Greenville.

I do know of a case where a brilliant young single businessman was falsely accused of rape. The woman was the wife of a prominent person. She even had some circumstantial evidence in her hand. It turned out that she wanted to have an affair and he didn’t want to sin against her husband and God. Read all about it in Gen 39:7

Likewise don’t jump to the conclusion that I think it never happens. In Gen 34:2 there is a real case of rape.

Lets be fair. According to http://www.clemson.edu/administration/student-affairs/dean/alcohol/pare…

Clemson University considers “sexual victimization… no more or no less of a problem than other college campuses”. Approximately 20 percent of first-year women at Clemson University experience some type of sexual victimization: 15 percent was unwanted sexual contact, five percent was sexual coercion, five percent was attempted rape and three percent was completed rape.” I don’t think 3% of the freshmen girls at BJU or PCC are being raped. Thank the Lord and an administration that has a lot of things built in that provides safety for our daughters. 3 out of 100 girls at state schools are raped. Where is the outrage toward those schools? Where are the blogs about an administration that protects its self more than the girls?

I know that there are many that want to do nothing but smear us and our churches. But my point is that we gave them ammunition in the past. I hope that is all behind us. I want to focus on what we can control - reporting right away, and support the victim. Yes we need to minister to the criminals, but the victims still need to be our first priority. Honestly, it seems many in the past have missed that.

[rogercarlson]

…My issue is this. We, as Christian leaders in general, have been slow do deal with these issues. …We should always first be concerned with the victim. Michelle mentioned bitterness. One reason why some victims show bitterness is because those to whom they have gone, were more interested in keeping things quiet, than helping the victim.

…

Like so many other things balance is the key.

Unfortunately, I have had experience with dealing with both sides of the abuse issue. What I have found is that it is a practical impossibility to satisfy the huge majority of people in a situation like this. Regardless of whatever right, reasonable, legal, and sensible steps you take to limit media exposure or legal liability, protect the privacy of whoever may be involved, or just to buy time to get to the absolute bottom of the matter the perception will be cover-up and callousness towards whoever is the perceived victim. Doing right or wrong by all involved rarely comes into play. And Lord help you if you ever suggest that the alleged perpetrator has legal “rights” as a US citizen that shouldn’t be infringed upon in this specific situation.

As a ministry administrator you have obligations to the perceived victim, the alleged perpetrator, and to the ministry as a whole. Balance is key, but balance is not what the loudest voices are looking for. The proverbial “pound of flesh” would not suffice, much less a balanced, just resolution of the matter.

Ken,

Although you are right in saying that court records are public record, unfortunately that also means that in many jurisdictions the actual details of the assaults are also part of public court documents. And, once again, it is cruel to demand that victims put themselves through that in order to prove a point. Especially when previous posters above me made it pretty clear they wouldn’t believe anything 100%. The importance of the GRACE investigation is that they can read the court documents and other evidence and be able to write a report that clearly protects the confidentiality of the victim while bringing awareness to the concerns that need to be addressed.

Who are you trying to protect? I can understand that the victim needs to be kept private, but the perpetrator? In case you didn’t know, if G.R.A.C.E does what they have done in the past and the situation you mention is looked at by them, then the perpetrator’s name will be made public. As for your interpretation of my not believing anything 100% accept the Bible, you failed to understand/comprehend the rest of what I said. Everything else I must first examine. I would hope this would be true for you also since everything else has been written by an unperfect man/woman. That is my only point. There are things that are correct and true, but we are to make a discerning decision about those things before just accepting them. It appears that you would have me believe you just because you said it even though I have no reason to since I have never met you and know nothing of the situation(s) you allude to. The Biblical principal holds true that everything must be examined in light of Scripture.

The New Tribes report that G.R.A.C.E raises some real issues for me. I don’t know if the events happened or not, but G.R.A.C.E revealed the specific events and accused names before the accused ever had their day in court. Just as a side note, since that time at least one has been convicted.

Let me see if I am reading this right. You are attacking ministries for covering up for alleged perpetrators and you won’t reveal the name and location of a convicted perpetrator? You lose all credibility.

She is not protecting the criminal but the victim. To reveal the name of the criminal would , more than likely, reveal the name of the victim in this particular case.

As unpopular as this is going to sound, I think that to name convicted perpetrators on an online discussion board is a bad thing to do, and I’ve felt that way for years. If someone does that, they ruin any chance that the perp has of ever reintegrating peacefully within society after their prison sentence is finished. We are a nation of laws, and those laws are there for a reason. There is a huge difference between listing perps in something like a Megans’ Law database online or notifying the local community where they return after their prison time and putting their name on discussion boards as a way of spreading their infamy abroad to places that have not heard of either victim or crime.

That, and it seems like a way to vengefully exact another “pound of flesh” from the perp after their prison sentence is up under the guise of ‘warning’ or ‘advising’. Convicted criminals have rights, too.

http://www.pcci.edu/response.html

“…[I] f for any reason you do not feel comfortable going to Student Life about something of this nature, please go to your parents or pastor or even law enforcement. The important thing is that you report it and get help.”

No college has any business standing in as a mediator between a potential victim and law enforcement. None. Not any. No business. It is with sadness that I read this alarming excerpt from PCC:

I pray that you never have to deal with something of this nature, but please know that Pensacola Christian College protects and defends victims of sexual harassment or assault. Reports of sexual abuse can be made without fear of recrimination; and no student is punished for being the victim of wrongdoing. Further, the college assists victims in confidentially reporting to law enforcement if desired or necessary and we cooperate with any official investigation against individuals accused of sexual harassment or abuse.

• The college does not decide if law enforcement assistance is necessary. The victim decides. Period.

There is a section in the Pathway beginning on page 23 about student rights, and part of that section describes the rights and responsibilities of any student who is the victim of harassment:

Students have the right to be treated with dignity, free from harassment in any form. Students are responsible to demonstrate Christian kindness and charity in all their relationships. It is the responsibility of any student who believes that he has been the subject of legitimate harassment (not frivolous or groundless allegations) to report the incident immediately to a representative of the Student Life Office who will follow the College’s due process in the investigation of the alleged harassment. Any student who is responsible for harassment will be subject to disciplinary action.

• No. The student must go to the police. Period.

I would add that if for any reason you do not feel comfortable going to Student Life about something of this nature, please go to your parents or pastor or even law enforcement. The important thing is that you report it and get help.

• No. Parents, pastors and law enforcement are not an option “if” the victim doesn’t want to go to the college. Forget the college. Who cares about the college?

Very unfortunate. A stupid policy. An ignorant policy.

To be fair, this policy is about more than abuse. It is discussing harassment as well. It is my understanding that some sexual harassment does not rise to the level that it needs to be reported to the police because it is not a crime. That is an important distinction because it makes this policy actually make sense.

I thought PCC’s first statement was incredibly poor. This one is better.

I read the policy with interest, and I can see Tyler’s point, but I think that GregH is right - this is designed to cover both harassment of any kind and also abuse. It seems well written and wise; I’m sure that someone with a legal background / PCC’s legal counsel has reviewed it to ensure it’s legally correct. The paragraph in particular about people going years without reporting before they get to PCC was, I thought, a very good addition as it eases some of the sting out of the burden carried by those who are abused and hopefully makes it easier for victims to realize they aren’t alone and can get help by going to the Administration / Faculty / Counseling team.
Anything that can be done to disclose the reporting guidelines for abuse is helpful.

Not trying to keep breathing life into a dead thread, but was curious as to if, in the intervening almost 2 weeks since this issue was 1st brought up, there has been any credible, verifiable case reports that would lend credence to the callous cover-up alleged in the article. It seems like some specifics would be of utmost importance in a case such as this if there is any legitimacy to be taken from the article.