January 1, Report Finds Evidence of Southern Baptist Abuse Cover-Up

A new report has found that Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) leaders mishandled claims of sexual abuse, and survivors had been “met time and time again, with resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility.”

“While stories of abuse were minimized, and survivors were ignored or even vilified, revelations came to light in recent years that some senior SBC leaders had protected or even supported alleged abusers,” according to the report.

Guidepost Solutions, an independent firm contracted by the SBC’s Executive Committee (EC), published the report on Sunday after a seven-month investigation into abuse allegations against the organization since 2000.

“Our investigation revealed that, for many years, a few senior EC leaders, along with outside counsel, largely controlled the EC’s response to these reports of abuse,” the report reads.

“They closely guarded information about abuse allegations and lawsuits, which were not shared with EC Trustees, and were singularly focused on avoiding liability for the SBC to the exclusion of other considerations.”

Read the full report here.

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Southern Baptist report finds evidence of sexual abuse cover-up