The lawsuit closes years of litigation towards the S.B.C. and one among its most outstanding–and controversial–leaders. Nevertheless, particulars of the settlement have but to be launched.
The Southern Baptist Conference has settled a lawsuit alleging that Paul Pressler, among the many group’s most outstanding leaders, was a prolific sexual predator who abused churchgoers for many years.
In accordance with The Tennessean, the lawsuit was filed in 2017 on behalf of Duane Rollins. In his grievance, Rollins accused Pressler—a Southern Baptist determine and a former Texas choose—of repeated sexual assaults.
The settlement, writes The Tennessean, represents a partial conclusion to Rollins’ case, which sought to carry a number of defendants responsible for abuse. A number of of the defendants had earlier settled with Rollins, whereas others—together with the Southern Baptist Conference, the Southern Baptist Conference Govt Committee, Pressler, and the First Baptist Church Houston—had been scheduled to go to trial this previous October.
Though the trial was delayed at Rollins’ request, attorneys for each events not too long ago moved to see the case dismissed with prejudice.
“The Southern Baptist Conference and its Govt Committee had been every absolutely ready to proceed to trial. Nevertheless, a number of elements finally made settlement the extra prudent alternative,” attorneys for the Southern Baptist Conference Govt Committee stated in a press release. “Chief amongst these elements was the horrendous nature of the abuse allegations, the probability that counsel for the SBC and Govt Committee must confront and cross-examine abuse survivors, the Govt Committee’s present monetary situation, and the willingness of a number of insurance coverage carriers to contribute to the phrases of the settlement.”
Edward Tredennick, legal professional for Presler, declined to remark, saying solely that the matter has been resolved.
“The events have resolved this matter on mutually passable phrases,” Tredennick stated.
Attorneys for Rollins had earlier stated that Pressler and different Baptist-related defendants had tried—and largely succeeded—in retaining the case out of court docket.
“Regardless of the Defendants’ profitable makes an attempt to delay this case inside this Courtroom for years, this Lawsuit has nonetheless been extraordinarily impactful exterior the courtroom,” Rollins’ authorized workforce stated in a July submitting.
“When it got here to sexual abuse, the conservatives of the Nineteen Eighties, Nineteen Nineties, and 2000s adopted a transparent coverage of institutional silence that had the impact of enabling abusers and discouraging and even blaming victims,” they stated. “Rollins was one among tons of of victims of that system.”
In his lawsuit, Rollins alleged that he endured many years of abuse by the hands of Pressler, with the primary rape purportedly occurring when Rollins was solely 14 years previous.
Proof from Rollins’ declare, together with letters between church leaders and authorized depositions, prompt that the Southern Baptist Conference had been conscious that there was an excellent misconduct grievance towards Pressler, but did not both provoke a radical investigation or transmit considerations to the church buildings Pressler served.
“Pressler was a sheep in wolf’s clothes,” the lawsuit stated. “Rollins and others suffered severely not solely due to the actions of this one man however due to people who empowered him, hid him, and stored his habits from being ‘dropped at mild.’”
Sources
Southern Baptist Conference settles high-profile lawsuit that accused former chief of sexual abuse
Southern Baptist Conference settles in abuse case towards Paul Pressler, case dismissed
Southern Baptist Conference settles intercourse abuse lawsuit towards former choose Paul Pressler
