SOUTH CAROLINA
Christian Post
BY MORGAN LEE , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
February 7, 2014
Bob Jones University (BJU) abruptly terminated its year-and-a-half relationship with a sex abuse ombudsman group last month.
Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) had partnered with the university since January 2013. Led by Boz Tchividjian, Billy Graham’s grandson, the organization was charged with providing oversight and accountability to BJU in its efforts to “identify any cases in which we need to exercise authentic repentance and demonstrate biblical love to those we have always desired to serve to the best of our ability for the Lord’s sake.”
BJU’s actions followed students’ claims of sexual abuse in 2011. That year, a CNN IReport article stated that the university had reported “nine cases of forcible sex offenses.” It also quoted television channel WSPA as claiming that the university’s number was “significantly higher than any other institution in the area,” pointing to Clemson University, which had three cases, by comparison. BJU, a private Christian college out of Greenville, S.C., has 2,500 students, while the nearby state school has 20,000.
While acknowledging those allegations, Randy Page, the director of public relations at BJU, denied that they influenced the college’s decision to invite GRACE to campus.
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