<\/p>\n
Paige Patterson, photographed by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.<\/p>\n
Neil Williams\/Handout<\/p>\n
A longstanding lawsuit against Paige Patterson<\/a>, the former president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary who was accused of mishandling reported sexual assaults of students at the institutions he led, was jointly dismissed Thursday, according to court records.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a court filing, Patterson, the seminary and a former student \u2014 who accused the two of defaming her after she reported she was sexually assaulted multiple times by a fellow student \u2014 said they jointly agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.\u00a0<\/p>\n The former student\u2019s attorney, Sheila Haddock, said the lawsuit was \u201camicably resolved\u201d just days before it was scheduled to go to trial next week.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In a statement, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary said it was grateful the matter was resolved for all involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe Seminary has consistently denied any liability or wrongdoing, and the rulings in the case are a matter of public record,\u201d James Smith, spokesperson for the seminary, said in a statement. \u201cWe are thankful to put this chapter behind us and to remain focused on our mission.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Smith declined to provide further details on the resolution and referred to the seminary\u2019s statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Patterson\u2019s attorneys did not respond to multiple messages left over the phone and by email seeking comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n Patterson, 83, was a prominent Southern Baptist leader for decades and the longtime former president of the Fort Worth-based Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was a key figure in the Southern Baptist Convention\u2019s hard-fought transition to a conservative theological body in the second half of the 20th century. He was elected as president of the SBC in 1998 and 1999.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n He was president of Southwestern Theological Baptist Seminary, one of the SBC\u2019s six seminaries, from 2003 to 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary sanctions removed after 3 years<\/a><\/p>\n Patterson was fired from the seminary in 2018 over his alleged mishandling of reported sexual assaults<\/a>, The Dallas Morning News reported that year. One case stemmed from 2003 during his tenure as president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. The other case stems from 2015, when Patterson led the Fort Worth seminary.\u00a0<\/p>\n While at the seminary in Fort Worth, Patterson allegedly said in a 2015 email that he intended to meet with a student who said she had been raped with the intention to \u201cbreak her down<\/a>,\u201d according to a 2022 independent report by Guidepost Solutions examining accusations of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist\u00a0Convention.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Report: Top Southern Baptists stonewalled sex abuse victims<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Fort Worth student, who has said she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a fellow student, alleged negligence and defamation against Patterson and the seminary in a 2019 lawsuit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Patterson denied mishandling the abuse allegations in a June 2018 letter, according to the Baptist Press<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI take exception to accusations that I ever knowingly ignored or failed to follow appropriate protocols in cases of reported abuse of women, students, or staff at any institution where I have served,\u201d Patterson said in the letter.\u00a0<\/p>\n He denied the Fort Worth student\u2019s allegations in court documents.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Patterson\u2019s conduct was not a cause, the cause, the sole cause, a proximate cause, the sole proximate cause, or a contributing cause of any injuries or damages claimed by Roe,\u201d according to court documents filed by Patterson\u2019s attorney in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Houston Chronicle<\/a> reported the man accused of raping the former student was expelled from the seminary and avoided prosecution over the alleged assault. He died in November 2018, the Chronicle reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n A federal judge in December dismissed the seminary as a party in the lawsuit, but the court filing Thursday said the seminary was part of the joint agreement to dismiss the case. Only one claim of defamation against Patterson had remained active, over a 2018 letter written by donors to the seminary\u2019s executive committee of the board of trustees that opposed his firing, according to court documents.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Fort Worth student, identified only as Jane Roe, said in court documents that the authors of this letter said she fabricated the sexual assault and argued that Patterson was responsible for the content of the letter.\u00a0<\/p>\n Haddock, Roe\u2019s attorney, said a confidentiality order in the case will remain in effect and her client will remain anonymous. Haddock also said Roe will not comment on the settlement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Department of Justice ends Southern Baptist Convention abuse inquiry with one conviction<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A 2019 investigation by the Houston Chronicle<\/a> found over 700 people had been abused by Southern Baptist churches over the last 20 years. A major report<\/a> from a firm contracted by the SBC\u2019s executive committee in 2022 found the SBC stonewalled, ignored and disregarded survivors of sexual abuse by pastors over a period of almost 20 years.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n