In a unanimous and bipartisan vote on Thursday, March 19, the Georgia House Judiciary Committee advanced SB-542, the Clergy Sexual Abuse Accountability Bill, following testimony from survivors, advocates and experts who described the realities of clergy sexual abuse and gaps…
Georgia Senate unanimously approves clergy sexual abuse bill
The Georgia Senate voted 55–0 last Friday to pass Senate Bill 542, legislation aimed at strengthening criminal accountability for clergy sexual abuse in Georgia. Advocates say the measure closes a gap in state law and creates a path to justice…
Swinson testifies for Georgia clergy sexual abuse bill
A survivor of sexual abuse at a Georgia Baptist university testified before the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee last Wednesday in favor of a bill that would strengthen criminal accountability for clergy sexual abuse. SB-542 would amend Georgia’s criminal code to…
Survivors and advocates support Trey’s Law proposals in Missouri, Georgia and Kansas
This week, sexual abuse survivors and survivor-advocates testified in front of legislative panels in Georgia, Kansas and Missouri, supporting passage of state versions of Trey’s Law bills that impact sexual abuse cases. These and other applications of Trey’s Law are…
Caner on leave as Truett McConnell trustees investigate abuse claims
Truett McConnell University President Emir Caner has been placed on administrative leave while trustees wait on a third-party investigation into alleged mishandling of sexual abuse complaints at the Georgia Baptist school. University trustees met Friday morning, June 6, as fallout…
Truett-McConnell trustees to meet as sexual abuse scandal worsens
Trustees of Truett McConnell University are meeting Friday to discuss charges of alleged sexual abuse against Hayle Swinson, a former student and later employee, committed by a former university vice president. Valdosta, Ga., trustee B. Miles Hannan confirmed the meeting…
In Georgia, a Baptist school accused of ignoring sexual abuse despite a mountain of evidence
Barely two weeks before Southern Baptists gather in Dallas for their annual meeting, another alleged sexual abuse case — this time involving a former student at a Georgia Baptist university — has surfaced. The story includes the alleged grooming of…