The sexual assault scandal that exploded at Baylor University last week has generated waves of heartbreak, disbelief and outrage.
And now add theological reflection to the litany of responses.
“For me this underscores the depth of human sin and that it’s not just ‘bad people’” that commit sexual assault, said Stacy Nowell, a Baylor graduate and senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Huntersville, N.C.
“The stories are that Baylor didn’t respond appropriately. My question is why is sexual assault happening?”
Nowell is alone neither in her frustration about Baylor nor in her yearning for a spiritual solution to the tragic problem of sexual assault — on campuses and elsewhere.
“That should be the goal of the faith community — to redeem humanity,” she said.
Bracing for more
But for many, just redeeming Baylor would be considered an achievement.
An investigation commissioned by the university found that sexual assault accusations against football players were ignored or sometimes harshly rejected.
So far the fallout has included the firing of head football coach Art Briles and the demotion of Kenneth Starr from president to professor, though he retains the title of chancellor.
But it has also sown deep distrust, including among Baylor alums like 2000 graduate Laura Seay.
Now an assistant professor of government at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, Seay said she began hearing disturbing rumors about sexual assault at Baylor more than a year ago. The stories began to intensify earlier this year with news accounts and blog posts about the issue.
So Seay and a group of fellow Baylor grads posted a public letter to the university asking it to do a better job in its prevention efforts and in the way it responds to assault survivors.
“The letter got 1,700 signatures in four and half days,” Seay said. “It got a lot of attention pretty quickly.”
It also prompted more survivors to reach out, some of them seeking legal counsel. Journalists started calling, too, Seay said.
And while the last few days have shed a lot of light on the culture at Baylor, there is more hard-hitting news to come, she added.
“The Baylor family needs to brace themselves for this.”
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SOURCE: Baptist News Global
Jeff Brumley
BCNN1 WP 