Bob Jones University fires firm hired to investigate sex abuse

Bob Jones University has fired an independent firm hired to investigate sex abuse reports just one month before the group planned to release its 13-month review findings.

The university had contracted with Lynchburg, Va.-based GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) in November 2012.

“Over the last several months, we grew concerned about how GRACE was pursuing our objectives, and on Jan. 27, 2014, BJU terminated its contract with GRACE,” the university said in a press release. “It is BJU’s intention to resolve its differences with GRACE, and we are disappointed a resolution could not be reached before our differences were made public.”

GRACE was similarly fired last year by an independent Baptist missions agency shortly before it could conclude another abuse investigation of missionary children.

BJU Statement:

In the fall of 2011, the national news was filled with a steady stream of heart-breaking revelations of sexual abuse on college campuses. These events prompted Bob Jones University to evaluate its processes and procedures for responding to reports of sexual abuse and specifically to ensure the University maintained best practices for a legally compliant and loving, scripturally based response to such reports.
To accomplish this, the Board of Trustees appointed a committee external to BJU to review our policies and procedures. The committee recommended some policy revisions and also that the University appoint an independent ombudsman to review past instances in which it was alleged that the University may have underserved a student who reported they had been abused at some point in their lives.
BJU subsequently engaged GRACE as the ombudsman. In addition to working with GRACE, BJU independently implemented a number of initiatives to raise awareness of sexual abuse. BJU provided live Sexual Abuse Awareness Training to all 3000+ students and 1000+ faculty/staff members—unprecedented in institutions of higher education—and is creating guidelines to assist present and future students who work with minors in the community and on campus. BJU also is working to provide a comprehensive Child Safety Workshop for local church leaders this spring.
Over the last several months, we grew concerned about how GRACE was pursuing our objectives, and on Jan. 27, 2014, BJU terminated its contract with GRACE. It is BJU’s intention to resolve its differences with GRACE, and we are disappointed a resolution could not be reached before our differences were made public. Both BJU and GRACE desire to raise sexual abuse awareness and minister to victims whose lives have been ravaged by abuse. GRACE has been helpful in assisting us in focusing our efforts in this area.
BJU sincerely appreciates all current and former students who participated in this initiative thus far, and the University regrets any delay BJU’s cancellation of its agreement with GRACE may have on this important project.
We grieve with those who have suffered abuse in their past, and we desire to minister the grace of Christ to them. Our prayer for the abused is that God will be their refuge and strength.
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GRACE Statement:

With a very heavy heart, GRACE announce s that o n January 27 th , 2014 , we received a ‘Notice of Termination’ from Bob Jones University – Link to Notice of Termination .
This ‘Notice’ took GRACE by complete surprise as there had been no prior indications from BJU that termination was even being considered. Furthermore, this termination occurred days before GRACE was to conduct the last interviews of this 13 - month investigation and begin drafting the final report sch eduled for publication in March.
Despite repeated requests, GRACE has not been informed of why the agreement was terminated. However, d ue to the fact that GRACE certainly wishes to keep all options on the table in order to complete what has been started , w e have spent the last week in communication with BJU and we remain open to continued dialogue.
At this point, we are most concerned about the potential impac t of this termination on those who participated in the investigation and are waiting for the final report. We grieve with those whose hopes will be crushed should this independent process remain incomplete. Please know that we heard your voice and it was not spoken in vain.
GRACE offers its assurance that we will do our utmost to protect your c onfidences in the interviews and surveys from unauthorized use or disclosure. You have honored us with your courage and trust. We are privileged to have sat with each of you. GRACE will post updates should the current situation change. Above all, we continue to have hope in the One who makes all things new and never lets us go.

Is the truth being swept under the rug?

The following is interesting to me and got me wondering what's really going on.

"GRACE was similarly fired last year by an independent Baptist missions agency shortly before it could conclude another abuse investigation of missionary children."

Were both terminations after a preliminary report to the board or a similar select group and prior to the final report for a broader audience? I've seen that happen several times with government agencies that hired their own investigator as a CYA measure only to end up with an honest investigative report that didn't say what they wanted to hear.

If so, dollars to donuts that in both cases GRACE had some bad news their client wants to avoid dealing with. I can see the board deciding caution is the better part of valor since anyone with deep pockets like BJU fessing up to past abuses even decades old is painting a huge target with a $ for the bulls-eye on their own back.

Maybe it's a case of GRACE looking at a broad spectrum while BJU and the other client they name in the article only wanted them to focus on a specific domain.

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