To add further intrigue to the Southern Baptist Convention’s reckoning with sexual abuse in its churches, the denomination announced March 6 that a federal investigation into the SBC has been closed — but abuse survivors who say they are in…
Judge rules discovery may continue in Sillses’ lawsuit against SBC parties
One of the multiple lawsuits currently pending against the Southern Baptist Convention and its various agencies got a green light to continue Nov. 22, despite objections that the case is “frivolous” and legal discovery could cause harm. U.S. District Judge…
Lyell asks Alabama court to dismiss Sills lawsuit for lack of jurisdiction
Sexual abuse survivor Jennifer Lyell has filed a motion with the Circuit Court of Mobile, Ala., asking that a lawsuit brought against her and others by David and Mary Sills be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. In November, the Sillses…
Why was the Sills lawsuit filed in Alabama?
Amid the nationwide interest generated by the recent lawsuit brought by David and Mary Sills against the Southern Baptist Convention and 11 other defendants, some observers have raised a particular question: Why was this suit filed in Alabama, when none…
Sills lawsuit misrepresents a piece of evidence, and that error got highlighted by Ascol and Basham
After Baptist News Global broke the news that former seminary professor David Sills and his wife, Mary, filed a defamation lawsuit against the Southern Baptist Convention and 11 other defendants, three high-profile Southern Baptists took to Twitter to highlight one…
Sills files suit against SBC and 11 other defendants, claiming his relationship with Lyell was consensual and he became a ‘scapegoat’ in the SBC’s sexual abuse crisis
A former Southern Baptist seminary professor and his wife have filed suit against the Southern Baptist Convention and 11 other defendants claiming defamation of character and conspiracy in the well-publicized sexual abuse case of Jennifer Lyell. The lawsuit challenges what…
Not everyone believes there’s a sexual abuse crisis in the SBC
First, Jennifer Lyell had to defend herself against a public misrepresentation of her story of sexual abuse published by Baptist Press; now she’s facing a second public humiliation from critics who believe the Southern Baptist Convention’s sexual abuse investigation is…
SBC report shows how five words turn abuse victim from ‘survivor’ to ‘whore’
Five words highlight the depths of Southern Baptist Convention leaders’ depravity. Guidepost Solutions released the report of its independent investigation into the SBC Executive Committee’s “response to sexual abuse allegations” Sunday, May 22. Among other examples, the 288-page document tells…
As report of SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force nears, Southern Baptists are just beginning to count the cost of this work
What will be the final cost of the Southern Baptist Convention’s investigation into allegations of mishandling sexual abuse claims? There are, of course, costs in terms of reputation and witness, but also financial costs that could take years to fully…