Abuse Survivors Stand Vigil at Bju
By Lyn Riddle
Five abuse survivors held a silent vigil outside the main gate of Bob Jones University Thursday protesting what they called the university's tepid response to a report that criticized the way faculty and staff counseled students who had been sexually abused or assaulted. They said their biggest concern was that no action had been taken against Jim Berg, the former dean of students who handled most of the counseling, and Bob Jones III, who was president during the time most of the situations occurred. Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, a non-profit independent organization that BJU contracted with to conduct the investigation, recommended personnel action against both men. BJU President Steve Pettit said earlier this year that all of Berg's writings had been studied and found to be biblically correct. He remains on the faculty; Jones remains chancellor, said university spokesman Randy Page. "They cherry-picked the easy things to do," said Karen Nelson Lee. "What about personnel?" "It's the same-old, same-old," said Nancy MacKenzie. The protest was timed to take place while the Board of Trustees was on campus for meetings prior to graduation, which is Friday, said Cathy Harris, who had asked to address the board. Instead, she was offered a meeting with Pettit, which she declined. One of the women at the vigil was Barbara Dorris, outreach director for Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, an organization started 26 years ago by a survivor in Chicago that has grown to 20,000 members worldwide. The university released a statement saying, "As we celebrate commencement activities, there are several alumni and others conducting a public protest near our Wade Hampton Boulevard entrance today. They are exercising their constitutional right to express their concern regarding our response to the report issued by GRACE in December 2014. We remain committed to making appropriate changes and continuing to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to sexual abuse and assault victims and our entire student body." Lee came to Greenville from her home in central Ohio for the protest. She left BJU after her freshman year because of improper and unwanted attention from an administrator, who is no longer living. She declined to name him. She said when she complained to another administrator, she was told nothing would be done because he was too valuable to the institution. "I encountered a level of evil I had no idea existed," she said. She held a poster that said "This Girl Had No Idea" and underneath was a picture of her at 18. MacKenzie said she was abused as a child and, when the memories came back during a child psychology class, she experienced post-traumatic stress syndrome. She went to a student counselor and then Berg, who read to her from Leviticus. She said she tried to kill herself with cold medicine and prescription Motrin and was treated at the university hospital. She graduated in 1986, but received no further counseling. Former BJU President Stephen Jones contracted with GRACE after the issue of sexual abuse and assault on college campuses arose. During a two-year study, members of the GRACE team spoke with about 40 victims. In a report released last December, GRACE found that students who reported abuse were blamed for bringing it on themselves and that proper authorities had not been notified. The abuse spanned a 40-year period and involved abuse that occurred on campus, off campus and before the student enrolled. Survivors told of counseling sessions in which they were asked if they had been drinking, had a previous relationship with the abuser or whether they enjoyed it. Pettit has said sexual abuse is a heinous crime that requires abusers be brought to justice, and that while some had been helped by loving counseling, others had not. He said it was apparent that the university was too focused on rules and not enough on people. "Some students reported that they were afraid to share their problems out of fear of facing discipline," he said. Pettit put together a task force that reviewed all the recommendations. The university has responded to all but a few of the 28 recommendations. Some, such as training for staff and policy revisions, had been done before the GRACE report was released. In addition, a former prosecutor determined no laws were broken in reporting abuse or assault.
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