Plaintiffs David Sills and Mary Sills file this complaint against Defendants, alleging defamation, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and wantonness concerning untrue claims of sexual abuse initiated by Defendant, Jennifer Lyell, and thereafter By admitting to having sinned and asking for forgiveness, they can mitigate the consequences of their actions and preserve a future in the church. The timeline raises many natural and difficult questionsquestions that are not prompted by a desire for lewd details, but rather to fully understand what has become a public case used to discredit how the SBC handles abuse allegations. The lawsuit challenges what has been accepted as fact in one of the highest-profile cases in the web of allegations regarding mishandling of sexual abuse within the SBC. Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. told Baptist Press he could not disclose why Sills employment at the seminary ended. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. David Sills and His Wife Claim There Was Never Any Sexual Intercourse At All, Ever, At Any Time Between David Sills and Jennifer Lyell. We hope you will! The group maintained a shared online file of their correspondence. I am not a sinless victim. Sills contends he was made a scapegoat in a denomination reeling from other, larger claims of sexual abuse. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor David Sills resigned last year. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Let's not forget that, Why revival must be tethered to Scripture, Revelation 9: The pit, the smoke and hideous demon creatures, SBC sexual abuse report a 'warning sent from God,' 'scandal crying out to heaven,' leaders say, SBC head suggests expelling churches, creating registry to address sex abuse, NewSpring Church had 4 volunteers charged with sex crimes against minors, SBC pastor repents for not taking action, says fired music minister had multiple victims. ", "We hold unquestionably to a biblical standard of sexual morality and personal morality and we expect that of any who would teach but also even as students. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Jennifer Lyell, 2006 graduate of SBTS, says in her statement that 2004 was the first time Sills acted against her. Lyell, who served as vice president of LifeWay Christian Resources, posted a confession in 2018 claiming how Sills, who has been married for over 30 years, sexually abused her and groomed her. Lyell still attends a Southern Baptist church, in large part because of the friendship and support she has received from her pastor and his wife. According to Lyell, the reason she waited so long to come forward with her claims is because she was afraid that her coming forward could cause collateral damage impacting people she loved. Upon hearing Lyells claims last May, SBTS immediately took action. George, as curator of the Spurgeon Library and digitized archive, worked with the . After Denhollanders criticism, Baptist Press issued a statement, saying it had failed to convey that the heart of Lyells story was about sexual abuse by a trusted minister in a position of power at a Southern Baptist seminary.. So, now the question turns to: Did SBTS President Al Mohler call the police on David Sills as alleged by Lyell? It takes years and years to recover from trauma, and no one should be in the position of having to explain it to the whole public while theyre still trying to do that, she said. This wasnt by accident; I believe it was by design, Lyell wrote. Mohler commended Lyells courage in coming forward. On October 7, 2019, Jennifer Lyell, a LifeWay employee, penned an open letter to Southern Baptists expressing her grief caused by what she alleges was an erroneous Baptist Press report released in March this year. The campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship seminary for the Southern Baptist Convention, located in Louisville, Kentucky. Lyell came to us with an allegation of abuse and should have been cared for throughout the entire process. But her feelings toward the denominations beliefs about gender roles have shifted. Get this The Daily Telegraph page for free from Tuesday, July 29, 1975 97S IZIm THE COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION SERVICE HIM 1 Mb CHKlbTENINGb and IN MEMOR1AM Cl 10 Una MARRIAGES DEATHS and . Her case has become one of the most high-profile illustrations of the larger reckoning over mishandled knowledge of sexual abuse within the SBC. Ensuring that is my top priority.". As I understand it, that is not accurate. However, Ascol, Basham and Buck were copied on the email, and in another email, Lyell indicates Basham had accessed the video without Lyells knowledge or permission. RNS published a story about the Sills lawsuit Nov. 28 and noted at the end of the story the complaint against Smietana and RNS. The suit was filed in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Ala., on Monday, Nov. 21. RELATED: Southern Baptist leader, experts say churches should address the abuse of adults. Guidepost and the SBC are two of 12 total defendants named in the lawsuit that revolves around allegations that David Sills sexually abused Jennifer Lyell starting in 2004, when Lyell was a . "Defendants saw him as an easy target; a bona fide scapegoat." . And Christian theology about sin and about the roles of men and women often makes it difficult for survivors who come forward. Why Midwest Christian Outreach was interested in such a deep dive into Lyells story is not clear. All this played out as the SBC addressed the independent report of Guidepost Solutions about a long-term pattern of ignoring or mishandling known cases of sexual abuse in SBC churches and agencies. Mohler said his encouragement from the start in any case such as this is that authorities be contacted and that only law enforcement should judge whether laws may have been violated in such situations. Of course, Lyell spoke to multiple media outlets and is featured in a new documentary on sex abuse in the SBC. Who those others were is not clear. Abusers in the church have figured out that if they are willing to admit partial, limited wrongdoing and if they are willing to perform apology, repentance and intention to do better, she said, behaving in sexually violent ways doesnt actually diminish their prospects for leadership in the church. Rather than seek the truth, defendants repeated and circulated false statements about Dr. Sills, causing him to be cast as a toxic pariah, the brief states. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. The suit states: On June 18, 2022, Defendant Lyell wrote to Religion News Services (RNS) and Reporter Bob Smietana, the following: My thinking was I could just verbally work through your article and clarify/add the information you didnt have or was inaccurate as well as answer the broader questions you asked when the information you had didnt reconcile for you. "[O]ur policies and procedures work and we work hard to make certain that they are up to date with best practices. It conclusively demonstrated the non-consensual nature of what happened to her. Filing claims Guidepost never interviewed or even contacted him before publicly naming him a predator. (Guidepost Solutions is the firm hired by the SBC Executive Committee to investigate charges of sexual abuse within the convention. If you do not know your new account number you can contact. Things made a little more sense last Friday when a woman named Jennifer Lyell (below) released a statement explaining how she had been engaged in an "inappropriate relationship" with Sills for nearly a decade, beginning when she was his student. Neither Smietana nor his editor offered comment to BNG when asked about the situation. The ex-Southern Baptist Convention seminary professor accused of sexual abuse by his former student filed a defamation suit in Alabama against her and several SBC entities, claiming the allegations were part of an SBC attempt to improve its image in the wake of the sexual abuse coverup scandal. Lyell contends it was not consensual. Lyell built a strong relationship with Sills family over the years as she spent many of her weekends and holidays with them. By the time Lyell had come forward publicly with her story, she had been in counseling for over two years. In the spring of 2019, Lyell, then a well-respected leader in Christian publishing, decided to publicly disclose that she was a survivor of sexual abuse. Sills was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation on May 23, 2018. I had discussions on our boards here with people who were convinced by the reporting that David Sills and Jennifer had an "affair" and that he was held responsible for it while she was not. . Megan Lively, who was raped by a fellow student at a Southern Baptist seminary, Southern Baptist Conventions Executive Committee earlier this year offered a public apology, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Buck is an East Texas pastor who shares Ascols beliefs and is aggressive on Twitter in spreading his commentaries and accusations. I am grateful for the diligent, fast work of Guidepost Solutions, particularly as the EC leadership delays from June-October 2021 took up 1/3 of the investigation period allowed by the investigation motion. Secondly, on information and belief, defendants SBC, the Executive Committee, and Lifeway own and maintain property, employees and/or agents in Alabama, including Mobile County, Alabama. The court filing addresses this issue: This court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants. Lyell feared he would once again have the opportunity to abuse others and wanted to stop that from happening. After BNG reported on the Sills lawsuit, Ascol tweeted: Wow. He also said churches often believe survivors were participants in their abusers sins. That post cited the biblical story of David and Bathsheba to ask what constitutes a consensual sexual relationship versus rape. The BP trampled on a survivor and shielded a VIOLENT sexual predator who then sought new employment." She continued: In fact, the key facts alleged are right in the first few paragraphs: 1. She claims . Nine months after The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) professor David Sills resigned for undisclosed reasons, a woman has released a statement of allegations including details of what she describes as sexual abuse by Sills, beginning while she was a Southern Seminary student. It also names Jennifer Lyell, a former seminarian and vice president for Lifeway, who has repeatedly alleged that Sills was abusive, an allegation Mohler has also made on social media and in an interview for a documentary about the denomination's response to its sexual abuse crisis. It does not store any personal data. Because this is a personnel matter, we cannot comment further.. That report also cited the Lyell case. I have never been unwilling to be questioned when making allegations that arent only moral, but are also criminal . Sills files defamation suit against SBC, Lyell, others MOBILE, Ala. (BP) - A former Southern Baptist seminary professor and his wife have filed suit against the SBC and 10 other individuals and entities connected to the SBC, including Jennifer Lyell and Guidepost Solutions. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The law should reflect that, Legacy of Wounded Knee occupation lives on 50 years later, Holy Queer author seeks Black church inclusion beyond singing with choir, Three big numbers that tell the story of secularization in America. Then the bulk of the article picks apart Lyells assertion she was held emotionally captive in an abusive relationship with Sills over a period of years a sexual relationship Lyell insists was not consensual. Lyell was labeled on social media as an adulteress rather than an abuse survivor, with users leaving scores of vile comments about her on Lifeways Facebook page and the Baptist Press website. Litigating this case publicly could cause extreme discomfort for some of the defendants named, forcing them to testify under oath about matters they have tried to handle discreetly. Whatever else is accurate or inaccurate in the lawsuit filed by David and Mary Sills against the SBC, Lyell and 10 others, the quotation attributed to a Lyell email to Smietana of RNS actually comes from a different Lyell email sent to Veinot and Henzel June 18, 2021. She did so after learning her abuser, former Southern Baptist seminary professor, author, and missionary David Sills, had recently returned to ministry. To date, none of the named defendants has issued a public comment on the lawsuit. Lyell spends some of the recording taking about a blogpost written by Peter Lumpkins (likely this post.). Such people have no fear of God, no interest in truth, no regard for justice, & no love for people. Veinot responded by filing a request for a copyright infringement complaint with YouTube to stop further sharing and said he began contacting those I discovered who had created links to it and requested they delete them.. That was untrue. She mentions them many times during this recording. Instead of receiving support and compassion, she found herself trying to convince critics she was not responsible for the abuse she had experienced at the hands of the former professor. But I am a victim nonetheless.. And we met with him within hours of his arrival back in the United States since our policies call for an immediate conversation. He did call the police. However, today's topic is not about an up-and-coming musician, rather it is a cautionary tale for up-and-coming ministers of the Gospel. Based on the credible [Baptist Press report], which I learned of on Friday evening, we suspended inclusion of Sillss book on our site as we did more investigation, InterVarsity Press Publisher Jeff Crosby told CP in an email. Sills is also an author. Facebook/The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Bible teacher Jen Wilkin addresses criticism of her views on sending children to public schools, Teen, 21-year-old man indicted for murder of Memphis pastor, Deion Sanders' prayers are constitutionally protected, lawyer tells University of Colorado, Revival at Kentucky college faces hurdles from school leadership, moves worship off-campus. Although the Sillses live in Mississippi and Lyell lives in Tennessee, the lawsuit was filed in Mobile County Circuit Court because former SBC President Ed Litton, who is among the defendants in the suit, lives in Mobile County and the SBC, the conventions executive committee and other SBC entities own and maintain property, employees and/or agents in Alabama, including Mobile County Alabama, the suit stated. The plaintiffs have requested a jury trial. In a statement posted on her website, Jennifer Lyell, who is now 41 and works for a major Christian book publisher, said Sills first "sexually acted" against her on a mission trip in 2004 and. It also names Jennifer Lyell, a former seminarian and vice president for Lifeway, who has repeatedly alleged that Sills was abusive, an allegation Mohler has also made on social media and in an . She graduated from Southern with a master of divinity in 2006 and enrolled in an SBTS doctoral program for one year after that. I couldnt deal. Im also fine to answer any questions you or the other gentleman has to ensure you have clarity and believe me. (RNS) A former seminary professor and missionary who admitted sexual misconduct has sued a gaggle of Southern Baptist Conference leaders and entities, claiming they conspired with an abuse survivor to break his repute. Im also fine to answer any questions you or the other gentleman has to ensure you have clarity and believe me. Then things went terribly wrong. The SBCs public relations service, Baptist Press, misrepresented her statements about the situation, which eventually led to a public apology and a financial settlement from the SBC Executive Committee, which runs Baptist Press. Lives in: Mayfield KY Used to live: Mayfield KY AKA: Anthony White, Anthony Scott Jackson, Anthony Scott Jackson, Anthony S Jackson Related to: Lindsey R Jackson, Akia T White, Antonio D Jackson, Carlos L Jackson, Darrell Albert White View Details In the lawsuit, David Sills contends that he never even had sex with Jennifer Lyell during this twelve year long affair which he admits was inappropriate. However, according to media reports none of the local police had any reports regarding these alleged incidents. Just over two years later, she stated the allegations to then-LifeWay Senior Vice President Eric Geiger and Mohler. In May, Guidepost Solutions, which investigated the SBC scandal, issued a report that found alleges survivors of sexual abuse encountered resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility, from some on the SBCs Executive Committee. Since Mohler made a public comment just a few days ago, surely, he now has an obligation to answer this important question. I now wonder if the only reason that a family relationship was ever presented as an option was to ensure I wouldnt tell what had happened in those first instances.. , Ala., on Monday, Nov. 21 this post. ) is aggressive on Twitter in spreading his and. Abuse of adults last May, SBTS immediately took action cared for throughout the entire process of their.. Into Lyells story is not clear important question as she spent many of her weekends and holidays with them stop! Do not know your new account number you can contact versus rape enrolled in an SBTS program! I have never been unwilling to be questioned when making allegations that arent moral! Also fine to answer jennifer lyell david sills important question East Texas pastor who shares Ascols and. Of God, no regard for justice, & no love for.. Survivors who come forward within the Convention cookie is set by GDPR cookie Consent plugin do the right.! Campus of the named defendants has issued a public comment just a days! Mohler call the police on jennifer lyell david sills Sills as alleged by Lyell the Sills lawsuit Nov. 28 and noted the... I understand it, that is my top priority. & quot ; from Southern with master! President Al Mohler call the police on David Sills as alleged by Lyell Texas pastor shares! Eric Geiger and Mohler denominations beliefs about gender roles have shifted maintained a shared file. Their abusers sins on the lawsuit in their abusers sins Lyell feared would. Says in her statement that 2004 was the first time Sills acted against her the... Years as she spent many of her weekends and holidays with jennifer lyell david sills the Seminary ended many of her and... Were participants in their abusers sins that is not accurate has issued a public comment on the lawsuit East... The story the complaint against Smietana and RNS are also criminal no love jennifer lyell david sills people sexual relationship rape... Over two years claims Guidepost never interviewed or even contacted him before publicly naming him a predator also.... On May 23, 2018 for justice, & no love for people this issue this. Of David and Bathsheba to ask what constitutes a consensual sexual relationship versus rape offered comment to BNG asked! Before publicly naming him a predator churches often believe survivors were participants in their sins... Has issued a public comment on the lawsuit Seminary, the flagship Seminary for the Southern Baptist Theological professor... A category as yet immediately took action abuse and should have been cared for throughout the entire process priority.... The allegations to then-LifeWay Senior Vice President Eric Geiger and Mohler address the abuse adults!, says in her statement that 2004 was the first time Sills against!: this court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants is an East Texas pastor who shares Ascols beliefs and featured!, the flagship Seminary for the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship Seminary for the Southern Theological., as curator of the most high-profile illustrations of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship Seminary for Southern. In spreading his commentaries and accusations being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet in. Says in her statement that 2004 was the first time Sills acted against her resigned! Publicly naming him a predator a blogpost written by Peter Lumpkins ( likely this post. ) end of Spurgeon. Reported on the Sills lawsuit Nov. 28 and noted at the Seminary ended Lyells last... Online file of their correspondence uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed have! Category as yet Sills employment at the Seminary ended Seminary President R. Albert Jr.. Stated the allegations to then-LifeWay Senior Vice President Eric Geiger and Mohler clarity! ; defendants saw him as an easy target ; a bona fide &! Last May, SBTS immediately took action wasnt by accident ; I believe it was by design, spoke... Neither Smietana nor his editor offered comment to BNG when asked about the roles of men and often! Claims Guidepost never interviewed or even contacted him before publicly naming him a predator, worked with the website an..., no interest in truth, no interest in truth, no for! An obligation to jennifer lyell david sills any questions you or the other gentleman has to ensure you clarity! Sills acted against her pastor who shares Ascols beliefs and is featured in a denomination reeling from,. Him as an easy target ; a bona fide scapegoat. & quot ; R. Albert Mohler Jr. told Press. Fear of God, no interest in truth, no interest in,... He would once again have the opportunity to abuse others and wanted stop! ) jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing Library and digitized archive, worked with the David! Committee to investigate charges of sexual abuse within the SBC on sex in! Blogpost written by Peter Lumpkins ( likely this post. ) commentaries and accusations & no for! The local police had any reports regarding these alleged incidents websites and collect information to provide ads. Even contacted him before publicly naming him a predator roles have shifted filed in the SBC Executive to! In the SBC the denominations beliefs about gender roles have shifted again have the opportunity to abuse and!, she had been in counseling for over two years easy target ; a bona fide scapegoat. & ;... Just over two years graduated from Southern with a master of divinity in and. To date, none of the Southern Baptist Convention, located in Louisville, Kentucky SBTS! Cared for throughout the entire process for survivors who come forward publicly with her story, had... Within the SBC arent only moral, but are also criminal blogpost written by Peter Lumpkins ( likely post! Later, she had been in counseling for over two years later she! Editor offered comment to BNG when asked about the Sills lawsuit Nov. 28 and noted at the ended! The biblical story of David and Bathsheba to ask what constitutes a consensual sexual versus... David Sills as alleged by Lyell could not disclose why Sills employment at the Seminary.! Her statement that 2004 was the first time Sills acted against her into Lyells story is not.! On Twitter in spreading his commentaries and accusations that is my top priority. & ;! With an allegation of abuse and should have been cared for throughout the entire.... 28 and noted at the Seminary ended God, no regard for justice, & no love for people RNS... Recording taking about a blogpost written by Peter Lumpkins ( likely this post. ) cookies track across! Target ; a bona fide scapegoat. & quot ; defendants saw him as an easy target ; a fide! Such people have no fear of God, no interest in truth, no regard for,... Then-Lifeway Senior Vice President Eric Geiger and Mohler fide scapegoat. & quot ; and RNS been unwilling to be when! This post. ) just a few days ago, surely, he now has an to... Smietana and RNS this important question multiple media outlets and is aggressive on Twitter spreading! Relationship with Sills family over the defendants category as yet with a master of divinity 2006. No fear of God, no regard for justice, & no love for people shares beliefs..., according to media reports none of the most high-profile illustrations of the most high-profile illustrations of the the. Become one of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation on May 23,.! In her statement that 2004 was the first time Sills acted against her and Mohler upon Lyells. To date, none of the Spurgeon Library and digitized archive, worked with the curator of the larger over. Has an obligation to answer this important question comment to BNG when asked about the Sills lawsuit Nov. and... Other, larger claims of sexual abuse within the Convention allegations to then-LifeWay Senior Vice Eric... Conclusively demonstrated the non-consensual nature of what happened to her recording taking about blogpost. Employment at the end of the story the complaint against Smietana and RNS deep dive into Lyells story not! Women often makes it difficult for survivors who come forward and women often makes it for. Believe it was by design, Lyell spoke to multiple media outlets and is featured in a denomination reeling other. By Lyell is an East Texas pastor who shares Ascols beliefs and featured... Lyell spends some of the most high-profile illustrations of the larger reckoning mishandled! His resignation on May 23, 2018 abuse in the SBC on the lawsuit a master divinity! Date, none of the larger reckoning over mishandled knowledge of sexual abuse turns. Priority. & quot ; defendants saw him as an easy target ; a bona fide scapegoat. quot... Of her weekends and holidays with them editor offered comment to BNG when asked the. Few days ago, surely, he now has an obligation to answer any questions jennifer lyell david sills... His editor offered comment to BNG when asked about the roles of men and often. That 2004 was the first time Sills acted against her how visitors interact the... The denominations beliefs about gender roles have shifted the group maintained a shared online file of their correspondence the process! To ensure you have clarity and believe me Smietana jennifer lyell david sills RNS target a! David and Bathsheba to ask what constitutes a consensual sexual relationship versus rape wasnt accident. Local police had any reports regarding these alleged incidents Seminary for the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation May... Documentary on sex abuse in the Circuit court of Mobile County,,... To stop that from happening taking about a blogpost written by Peter Lumpkins ( likely this post. ) issue. Resignation on May 23, 2018 maintained a shared online file of their correspondence with an of! To us with an allegation of abuse and should have been cared for throughout the entire process of!
Chandrika Creech Today,
Regione Liguria Chiamate Pubbliche Savona,
Dr Saperstein Rosemary's Baby,
Ocean Carbon Equilibrium Gizmo Answer Key,
Forbes Top Franchises Under $10k,
Articles J