SOUTH CAROLINA
Christianity Today
UPDATED) News ‘took GRACE by complete surprise,’ while university ‘disappointed a resolution could not be reached before our differences were made public.’
Kate Tracy [ POSTED 2/7/2014 10:25AM ]
Bob Jones University drew praise in 2012 for proactively investigating allegations of sex abuse and whether the school responded adequately. But approximately one month before the results of the 13-month investigation were due to be published, it has fired the private firm it hired, GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment), and requested that the investigation halt and remain confidential.
GRACE, which was similarly fired last February shortly before it could conclude another abuse investigation, revealed the news yesterday on its Facebook page.
“This ‘Notice’ took GRACE by complete surprise as there had been no prior indications from BJU that termination was even being considered,” stated GRACE in a press release. “Furthermore, this termination occurred days before GRACE was to conduct the last interviews of this 13-month investigation and begin drafting the final report scheduled for publication in March.”
BJU promptly responded. “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 stated 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.”
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