A lawsuit filed against Pawleys Island Community Church in South Carolina for allegedly allowing a registered sex offender to work around children has been dismissed.
The complaint filed in August accused the church and its Pawleys Island Academy of permitting Warren Spencer Perry to volunteer as a maintenance worker at the school despite knowledge of his 2023 conviction for sexually exploiting a minor.
The congregation, formerly known as Pawleys Island Baptist Church, is a cooperating church with the Southern Baptist Convention and South Carolina Baptist Convention.
Former Senior Pastor Don Williams, his wife, former Guest Services Director Ginny Williams, former academy director Jennifer “Niki” Howard, the congregation’s elders and Perry were named as defendants in the litigation along with the SBC and the SBC Executive Committee.
The Williamses, Howard, Perry and former missions and operations director Michael Anthony Fields were arrested on a range of criminal charges stemming from Perry’s involvement with the church. The church also decided to close the school in the wake of the scandal, according to Roys Report.
“Given these recent events, the ongoing investigation and delays with licensing for the forthcoming school year, current PICC leadership has decided to formally end the PICA ministry,” a church statement said. “We believe this decision is in the best interest of the community and church.”
The now-dismissed litigation did not allege Perry committed any act of sexual assault during his time at the school but held church and school officials responsible for their “negligent, grossly negligent, reckless, willful and wanton placement, retention, concealment and protection of a registered sex offender in a position of repeated and unrestricted access to minor children at Pawleys Island Christian Academy.”
The case was one of seven civil lawsuits resulting from the Pawleys Island Community Church situation, according to Live 5 News in Charleston, and its dismissal does not affect the criminal cases against the defendants.
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SC church sued for allowing registered sex offender access to children