Bob Jones University regrets handling of 2005 sex assault allegations after ex-pastor’s arrest
The school found out about 2001 allegations two weeks ago, but the victim, Shielagh Clark, reported other assaults to the school in 2005. A BJU spokesman said “the university failed by not encouraging Clark to go to authorities at that time.” Clark did file a report with the Hyde Park Police Department in 2005…. she was too afraid at the time to pursue charges, and no charges were filed.” - Greenville News
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I’m talking about his books that I’ve read. Fine by me.
Mark, the GRACE report links, hundreds of times, excerpts from Berg and Mazak’s thought, linking it as well to Berg’s books. It also explains why this mode of thought is objectionable, as it tends to blame the victim for the since committed against them while downplaying or outright ignoring the guilt of the perpetrator.
And that’s exactly what happened at BJU very recently. The victim was blamed and punished, the perpetrator got off scot-free. Who knows how many people have been raped or abused in the perpetrator’s last 15 years of “ministry”?
Linked to Berg’s books. Now you might not have seen this when you read them, but perhaps…listen to those who’ve worked with sexual assault victims and the like for a living on this topic?
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
none of them said anything about blaming women for sexual assault. End of story.
[Bert Perry]And that’s exactly what happened at BJU very recently. The victim was blamed and punished, the perpetrator got off scot-free. Who knows how many people have been raped or abused in the perpetrator’s last 15 years of “ministry”?
If the DA did not charge the perpetrator, how is that BJU’s fault?
If the DA did not charge the perpetrator, how is that BJU’s fault?
Nobody is blaming the DA. We’re talking about why BJU isn’t owning their responsibility for this mess, including admitting fault instead of acknowledging ‘regret’ for what happened. They can’t regret for the perp since they didn’t rape the woman. They do need to own that it happened on their property and that they threw her out as a direct result.
I don’t think the problems are in Berg’s books as much as how heavily he’s been involved with teaching the counseling courses and his influence that way. I know he taught my counseling classes; I still have the notes.
"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells
I know some of you won’t like me for this, but this is the truth. The girl, at the time, was on a trip from her home church to BJU with her pastor. The scumbag assaulted her. And that is BJU’s fault? No, I don’t get it. The problem was 1. Pastor 2. Her church. BJU is just the “deep pockets” and the headlines.
IMHO regret is the appropriate level of concern on BJU’s part.
[Jay]Nobody is blaming the DA.
I know! They are blaming BJU. Note no complaint about the scumbag. And no complaint about the DA not prosecuting. Just “BJU is an evil place…”
[Mark_Smith]I know some of you won’t like me for this, but this is the truth. The girl, at the time, was on a trip from her home church to BJU with her pastor. The scumbag assaulted her. And that is BJU’s fault? No, I don’t get it. The problem was 1. Pastor 2. Her church. BJU is just the “deep pockets” and the headlines.
IMHO regret is the appropriate level of concern on BJU’s part.
Mark, what part of “BJU actively took steps to prevent a criminal from receiving justice while the evidence was still warm” are you not getting? What part of “BJU actively took steps to allow a rapist to continue in the pulpit for a decade and a half.” do you not understand? What part of “sexual assault victims generally develop mental illness, often resulting in substance abuse, relationship failures, and even suicide.” do you not get? If the Torah tells us to return the property of our neighbor (e.g. a donkey or other animal) when it is lost or wanders onto our property, how much more are we responsible to help bring criminals worthy of death to justice? If James tells us that we have an affirmative obligation to our poor neighbors to help them if we can, how much more do we owe assistance to those who are the victims of what, in the Torah, is a capital crime?
“Regret” is enough for this in your mind? Seriously?
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
[Mark_Smith]I know! They are blaming BJU. Note no complaint about the scumbag. And no complaint about the DA not prosecuting. Just “BJU is an evil place…”
The DA is prosecuting the cases he thinks he can win. However, if his predecessor had learned about these crimes in 2005, five will get you ten he’d have been able to obtain evidence he’s not able to find now from people whose memories have now faded, and he’d have been more likely to be able to prosecute him for rape.
And since BJU did indeed prevent this process from occurring in 2005, yes, they do have very real evil of which to repent. Seems to me that being able to do this has something to do with the “Gospel” BJU talks about from time to time. Maybe they should give it a try.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
I’m still waiting for the post from you on how this is the pastor’s fault, and then the church for having him as their pastor long before it is the fault of a school where the guy just happened to be visiting.
Has the DA’s office apologized for not supporting her? What about the police? How did BJU “stop” anything? The girl and her family did what they did for the reasons they did.
Mark, what part of “BJU actively took steps to prevent a criminal from receiving justice while the evidence was still warm” are you not getting? What part of “BJU actively took steps to allow a rapist to continue in the pulpit for a decade and a half.” do you not understand?
Can you tell us where you got this from?
Larry, the source for BJU actively working to prevent cases (not just this one) is the GRACE report. The article linked also hints at this as BJU admits that they “didn’t give her the encouragement she needed” to go to law enforcement. I believe the GRACE report says they actually did the opposite, and it was by no means the only example GRACE found. (BJU’s words here are a classic example of “minimization” as well)
Mark, the reason I don’t mention the guilt of the “pastor” is because no sane person disputes that. If only that were true regarding the guilt of BJU in cases like this.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
[Bert Perry]Mark, the reason I don’t mention the guilt of the “pastor” is because no sane person disputes that. If only that were true regarding the guilt of BJU in cases like this.
I’m glad you finally stated it. The pastor is the criminal. Period.
As for “sane people,” they do not…
1. blame third parties for what others do
2. not report crimes against themselves and then blame third parties
3. constantly revisit things that happened 20 years ago in an attempt to get face time against a third party because they have a bone to pick against that third party.
But, I am apparently a unfeeling jerk. So, you should probably ignore what I wrote.
It’s in the Greenville News link at the top of this thread, Larry:
According to the GRACE report, a student told staff with Bob Jones University in 2005 that she had been abused by her pastor since she was 15 years old and that she was pregnant with his child, which is consistent with the report Clark filed with the Hyde Park police. The student was asked to withdraw from the university for lying about where she was when she used overnight passes, the report said.
The report was critical of the expulsion, saying a counselor “without conflicting interests” would have instead found the underlying problem was “this pastor’s manipulative and devastating actions.”
Clark identified herself as that former student.
I mean, if you’re going to expel her, at least have enough decency to terminate her for “consensual sex” instead of using the hall pass thing as an excuse.
Doesn’t it seem a little weird to you that lying would be a more actionable offense than being molested by your pastor?
"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells
Mark, this is not a third party issue. The rapist is guilty for what he did, and BJU is guilty for what they did. Again, what BJU did was use the student discipline and counseling “ministries” to discourage dozens of students, including the woman profiled here, from taking cases of sexual assault to the courts. BJU even de facto expelled this woman from school for her fairly mild response to her assault.
That’s a very real sin, Mark, and yes, you are pretty darned heartless in your approach to sexual assault victims. You put all the onus on them, failing to clue in to how for too many, it’s them vs. the world as they try to bring justice to their rapists—and then you wonder why people don’t speak up and blame them for not speaking up.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
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