SBC named in class action complaint over Christian school scandal

The unidentified parents of a minor who attended a South Carolina Christian school included the Southern Baptist Convention as a defendant in a proposed federal lawsuit out of South Carolina, court records showed. The parents’ recent court filing accused Pawleys Island Community Church of gross negligence for hiring a registered sex offender to work as a janitor at the church’s school, Pawleys Island Christian Academy.

The parents took aim at the SBC and several of its executive committee members, in addition to leaders of the local church and school. The community church has been affiliated with America’s largest Protestant denomination through its corresponding state-level Baptist convention, according to local media. The proposed class action lawsuit seeks accountability from the church and others for allowing Warren Spencer Perry to serve as a maintenance worker at the school.

Church and school officials either knew or should have known about Perry’s past convictions, the court filing alleges, but instead of taking action, allowed the registered sex offender access to minors at the school for years. The proposed lawsuit did not make any claims about direct sexual abuse by Perry during his time working at the school.

The Pawleys Island Community Church announced the resignation of its pastor as well as the school’s director several weeks before the proposed lawsuit was filed. The pastor’s wife and several elders also stepped down from church leadership, according to the church’s statement last month. The church found itself in a season of crisis as the decisions and integrity of leaders were being questioned, according to the statement.

How has the SBC responded to the lawsuit? WORLD reached out to representatives from the Southern Baptist Convention for comment, who directed WORLD to previous comments made in a Baptist Press article. The SBC does not comment on ongoing litigation, but officials planned to review the case and respond appropriately, according to SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Jeff Iorg.

Perry now faces charges for violating the terms of his parole as a convicted sex offender. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Black’s report on an ethics expert reporting malpractice in SBC’s sex abuse investigation report released last December.