Lyn Riddle

lnriddle@greenvillenews.com

They met in conference rooms in a Charlotte hotel, at The Healing Place in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and at the Julie Valentine Center in Greenville.

In all, 116 people — among them 43 people who had been sexually abused or assaulted — came forward to tell what they knew about the way Bob Jones University had treated students who came to them for help.

Some brought back memories that go back 30 years or more. They talked about feeling shame, depression, developing eating disorders because of the messages they heard in chapel, in classrooms, in dorm meetings, and most especially in counseling sessions with the man who was dean of students from 1981 until 2010, Jim Berg.

In a statement to investigators with GRACE, Berg acknowledged shortcomings in juggling the jobs of dean of students and counselor, saying he felt at times like a medic on the battlefield.

Former students and some current faculty members told investigators hat they were told immodest clothing would bring on sexual abuse, that they were damaged goods, that telling anyone about the abuse would bring shame on the Christian school.

BJU president Stephen Jones sought the investigation by GRACE, which stands for Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, which in turn has recommended personnel action against Jones' father, Bob Jones III, a former president, for being ultimately responsible for the problems GRACE found.

Jones III told investigators no harm was done intentionally, that in fact the university had asked for the investigation.

Current President Steve Pettit apologized during a chapel service Wednesday and said he would immediately form a panel to analyze the report. University spokesman Randy Page said among the work of that group will be deciding whether any personnel actions are merited. Jones III remains chancellor of the university, Page said.

Camille Lewis, a former BJU professor, said she believes the report is a huge milestone for survivors.

"It lets them speak," she said. "I believe every word they said. I'm raw with reading it."

The investigation

GRACE began its work in January 2013 by issuing a survey that over the course of four months was accessed 933 times. The investigative team included a lead investigator who is a lawyer and former prosecutor, a mental health professional, a seminary professor, a project coordinator and a project director.

They sought information from victims, people who knew others who had been victimized as well as people familiar with the teachings and counseling techniques used by faculty and staff.

The team requested interviews with 73 people. In addition to the in-person interviews, the team had telephone conversations with some and accepted 22 written statements. They also gathered police reports, court documents, class materials, counseling records, recordings of sermons and lectures and training videos made by Berg and others.

Among the current and former staff members interviewed were Stephen and Bob Jones III and Berg. One BJU employee, who was not named in the report, was interviewed on several occasions for four to five hours a day over two weeks. GRACE investigators also visited the campus.

The report did not name known offenders but where appropriate, GRACE contacted law enforcement. About half of the victims were abused before arriving at BJU, the other half while they were students there. Of the cases involving students, all of the abusers mentioned in the report were either other students or not affiliated with the university.

Sixty percent of them said they felt blame and disparagement for coming forward with their stories. One third of the victims said they did not feel comfortable telling school administrators of the abuse.

The stories

BJU administrators denied they blamed women for causing the abuse based on what they wore, but several students said they were told otherwise. One woman said a female professor gave students a list of what would cause a man to lust after them, including a skirt with a small slit on both sides, knee highs instead of hose because hose keep the backside from wiggling when they walk, and the neck of a blouse that points downward because it draws a man's attention to the breasts.

"Purses or bags carried crosswise call attention to the space between the breasts. ... A glimpse of bare leg skin is almost too much for a man to bear," the student told investigators. "I came away from that meeting with a slimy film of shame clinging to me."

A professor said she had never told students their clothing could be problematic.

"I have never thought that," she told investigators. "It is true that I did read a letter from a male faculty member who said that he has to turn his eyes away from a girl sometimes on campus. The point that I was making when I read the letter was that this is not a problem of just wicked, ungodly men. This was written by a godly faculty member. Every man is attracted by the appearance of a beautiful woman. God made men that way. And the loving thing for us to do for our brothers in Christ and for the husbands of other women is to be responsible in our dress."

She said she was warning women to be careful.

The report gave credence to what the women said: Women's dress has been a concern for university officials since the school was founded.

The report says, "Communicating that women are the source of lust also contributes to an environment where women are objectified. Because such thinking impacts how women are treated, abuse may occur easily in this environment. Abuse begins with the lie that women are disposable commodities to be used."

Counseling

Much of the report deals with the way victims were counseled. Berg is chided for rapid-fire questions and for asking about personal details such as whether the victim had been drinking or if she had been involved with the abuser.

One woman said, "I was abused from the ages of 6-14 by my grandfather. When I went for counseling I was told, 'Did you repent for your part of the abuse? Did your body respond favorably? If it did, then you need to repent. You're bitter and care more about your pain than the salvation of your family. You should have never gone to the police because it tore your family apart and that's your fault. You love yourself more than you love God and that's why you're struggling.'"

Another: "A person in administration who knew that I was assaulted by one of their preacher boys stated that I would destroy this godly man's education and future if I reported his crime.

"I received a slip in my P.O. Box to report to the stage following a specific chapel service. At that time, Drs. Bob, Jr. and III told me that they were sorry such a thing happened but that I now had the choice to honor God by my response and not be selfish in sharing the experience with others and gaining inappropriate attention to the school."

Berg told investigators that time constraints forced him to handle matters quickly. Typically he saw victims twice or three times and then turned over counseling to dorm counselors, who were students.

He also said he had no formal training other than what he learned on the job and through books, articles and a conference he attended.

Yet, he taught crisis counseling and wrote books on the subject. He also said he was not aware until 1992 that South Carolina had a law that mandated educators to report instances of sexual assault and abuse that they became aware of. The state's first mandatory reporting law was passed in the 1970s.

Victims said they were made to feel like "damaged goods" and were told no decent man would want to marry them. They were to "forgive and forget."

They also said residual effects such as flashbacks and nightmares were considered a spiritual problem.

The report criticizes BJU officials for not keeping information obtained through counseling confidential. A dean of women said she had called a girl's pastor and a dorm counselor told a girl's boyfriend she had been abused.

Victims also said the culture of the campus caused them problems.

"There is a culture of telling people that if you don't report something that you are just as guilty as the person who did something wrong."

One person said, "In an environment where depression, sadness or questioning of BJU in anyway could lead to expulsion, how on earth would someone really feel safe reporting a sexual assault?"

Students felt they would be disciplined if they told of abuse.

One woman identified as 777 said she told three dorm supervisors that she had been molested by her pastor since she was 15 and now, at 20, was pregnant. She told them the pastor, who was married with children, had visited her in Greenville and they spent nights in a Spartanburg motel. BJU asked her to withdraw from school because she broke the school's rule on overnight passes.

"It was sort of consensual," Berg told GRACE.

Jones III described the situation as heartbreaking.

Jones III told investigators: "Well, nobody who is a genuine victim of rape would ever be expelled. She would be dealt with with great compassion and a desire to help her put her life back together."

Failure to report

Victims said they were hurt that their reports were not passed on to the legal authorities, the report said.

Berg acknowledged to investigators that officials failed to report some crimes, but he said it was not to cover up or protect the university.

"It was pure ignorance of what to do," he said.

"The facts are what they are. It was not handled the way it should have been handled."

He said he felt embarrassed by his lapses.

Jones III told investigators, "Well I can answer each one if I know anything about it, I can answer each one that makes such an allegation. They might have thought it should have been reported, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it was mandated that we do."

The report said, "Apart from cases where there is a clear legal responsibility by BJU employees to report suspected criminal activity or other information regarding abuse and neglect to the proper authorities, Dr. Jones, III appears to have taken the position that sexual abuse need not be reported to the police when it is not mandated by law to be reported. Unfortunately, this position has resulted in needless suffering by those who came to university officials for help."

The report describes a woman who was sent back to the home where she had been abused. She eventually attempted suicide

"Reporting sexual crime, therefore, should be driven by an unsurpassed compassion and love for others who are desperately in need of protection, justice and affirmation," the report said.

Recommendations

While the report praises the courage and conviction of the university in bringing such an investigation on itself, it also has a list of recommendations for improving its response to abuse. GRACE notes that the school has made many changes, including updating its abuse policy and requiring training of staff and faculty.

In recommending action against Jones III, the report says, "Dr. Jones, III has also repeatedly demonstrated a significant lack of understanding regarding the many painful dynamics associated with sexual abuse. Due to the central role Dr. Jones, III played in the many issues outlined within this report, it is recommended that the university impose personnel action upon Dr. Jones, III."

The report also says Berg was largely responsible for failing to respond adequately to reports of sexual abuse and recommends that he no longer be allowed to teach on any issue related to sexual abuse and that he no longer be allowed to counsel students. Berg's books and other materials should no longer be sold by BJU, both online or in its bookstore. Sermons that are hurtful should be removed as well, the report suggests.

GRACE recommended recovery assistance by an outside professional, degree completion and tuition assistance for victims, review files of all victims to see if law enforcement needs to be called and an independent consultant should be brought in to review policies and procedures.

The report also suggests installing a memorial on campus to victims and for university personnel to sit down with victims, hear their stories and acknowledge responsibility.

The university issued a statement Thursday that said, "As the report notes, its findings may not adequately reflect the impact of changes in BJU's policies and practices in the last several years or the University's reply to the issues raised."

It also pointed out that two-thirds of 166 reports "the alleged perpetrator was not affiliated in any way with the university."

"Our understanding and approach to counseling sexual abuse victims developed and improved over the years as more research became available and significant progress has been made. We are committed to continue that progress," the statement said.

In addition, no one at the school intended to make victims feel responsible for what happened to them. "Certainly, it was never intended to suggest that the teachings of Jesus and the Scriptures in any way could ignore the sin and criminal act of the abuser and shift the blame to the victim," the statement said.

Hiring GRACE was an attempt, set against a larger effort, to address the problem of sexual assault and abuse affecting the nation's college campuses, the statement said.

"While we have some questions regarding the processes and methodology GRACE employed in conducting the survey and report, the report is valuable as it identifies themes that can help us create a safer, more loving counseling environment."