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Conservative Prof Claims Baptist Seminary Used Coronavirus Crisis as Excuse to Get Rid of Him

Conservative Prof Claims Baptist Seminary Used Coronavirus Crisis as Excuse to Get Rid of Him

“I don’t think this is right.”

Even if this is true, it would be very hard to prove, wouldn’t it?

The College Fix reports:

Conservative professor says Baptist seminary used COVID as an excuse to get rid of him

A seminary fired a professor for his repeated criticism of its leftward direction but used COVID-19 budget cuts as cover to hide its true motives, he claims.

Russell Fuller told The College Fix in an interview that Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is also requiring laid-off faculty to sign a nondisclosure agreement in order to receive their severance packages.

The professor of Old Testament interpretation had been at SBTS in Louisville, Kentucky for 22 years. The seminary notified Fuller on April 21, after moving its entire coursework online, that his position would be axed following a $16 million budget cut.

Fuller (above) said the significant budget shortfall led to the seminary sever ties with nine professors including himself. Their severance packages includes salary and benefits through the end of July, but Fuller is refusing to sign because of the NDA, which Fuller shared with The Fix.

It would forbid him from making “any public or private statements (whether oral or in writing) that are derogatory or damaging to Southern Seminary, or any of its administration, faculty or staff,” the document reads.

“They’re afraid I’m going to say some things about them that they don’t like,” Fuller told The Fix in a phone call. “I don’t think this is right.”

The institution, which is associated with the Southern Baptist Convention, has been seeking a reason to dismiss him due to criticism he has leveled against the provost and several professors, he claims: The severance package is “hush money.”

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Comments

Ah, Baptists. We can be an obstreperous lot. I thought the American Baptists were the liberals among Baptists. I guess the Southern Baptists are moving that direction too.

I tend to be an old style liberal. So that ‘NDA’ is very offensive to me. The need for hush money suggests that the Seminary is quite out of step with the rank and file of the Southern Baptists.

Transparency is always needed whether in government, religious leadership, and ordinary business dealing. I wish Fuller well. I hope he stands by his views and speaks out.

We live in Chinese Cursed times.