A former Baptist university professor has filed a lawsuit against Baptist News Global for defamation over reports of alleged sexual abuse. BNG has denied the allegations in his lawsuit.
Jeremy Lyon, formerly associate professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Ga., sued BNG in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The lawsuit requests a jury trial and seeks unspecified financial compensation.
Lyon’s lawsuit claims two articles BNG published in June 2025 “convey the false and defamatory accusations that Dr. Lyon committed sexual abuse and/or harassment against one or more students.” The suit alleges the articles damaged Lyon’s reputation, resulting in loss of income and damage to his “academic credibility and future career prospects.”
BNG stands by its coverage of the sexual abuse scandal at Truett McConnell, as well as its coverage of other sexual abuse scandals rocking the Baptist denomination, said Mark Wingfield, BNG’s executive director and publisher. “BNG operates with the highest ethical standards of professional journalism. We have been at the forefront of covering sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention, and thus it is not surprising some would attempt to repudiate our witness. We stand ready to defend our work.”
Marv Knox has covered the Baptist denomination as a journalist across more than four decades, including almost 20 years as editor of the Baptist Standard in Texas. This article was written without editing by BNG staff.