~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~Updates for the Year
1999~*~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
September 1999
Saturday, September 25, 1999, about noon
(CST)
Monday, September 27, 1999 about 8:15 am
(CST)
Monday, September 27, 1999 about 2:00 pm (CST)
Wednesday, September 30, 1999 about 12:00 noon (CST)
October 1999
Friday, October 1, 1999, about 4:00 pm
(CST)
Saturday, October 2, 1999 about 11:00 am (CST)
Monday, October 4, 1999 about 10:15 am (CST)
Tuesday, October 5, 1999 about 9:30 am (CST)
Thursday, October 7, 1999 about 1:15 pm (CST)
Wednesday, October 20, 1999 about 1:00 pm (CST)
Tuesday, October 26, 1999 about 11:00 am (CST)
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, September 25, 1999, about noon (CST)
As may be apparent, THIS SITE IS STILL
UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
We will be adding a number of pages and links today and tomorrow.
This afternoon, we have added the following four pages and several links:
PESTICIDE
INFORMATION
Violations
of the Missouri Pesticide Use Act
The
Adverse Health Effects of Pesticides
Pesticide
Poisoning
XYLENE
and other Aromatic Hydrocarbon Solvents
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As may be apparent, THIS SITE IS STILL UNDER
CONSTRUCTION.
This site will be expanded this weekend -- more information and
links will gradually be added, including:
*Newspaper articles
and Letters to the Editor,
*Information on upcoming books
and media coverage,
*More medical
information and links,
* Links
to the Updates on the
SBU "WORD OF
HONOR" LETTERS ,
*Links
to the
SBU "QUESTIONS
OF THE HEART" PETITION website,
*Links
to the
SBU "CHANGE
OF HEART" BOYCOTT website,
*A copy
of "The Cry of the Butterfly:
What I Learned
at a Southern Baptist University --
which will be presented
during the October 25-27, 1999 Annual
Meeting of the
Missouri Baptist Convention in Jefferson
City, Missouri,
and more ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update on the SBU "CHANGE OF HEART" BOYCOTT
Currently, we are still testing an official site for the
"CHANGE
OF HEART" BOYCOTT
of Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri
,
which will be used for the official distribution of information
related to the BOYCOTT.
It has became apparent -- from a poll of our participants -- that
the "CHANGE OF HEART" BOYCOTT, as it was previously
written, DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH.
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri is a
private, Christian institution, owned and operated by the
Missouri Baptist Convention and is closely affiliated with
and partially funded by the membership and churches of the
Missouri Baptist and Southern Baptist Conventions.
The SBU "CHANGE OF HEARTS" BOYCOTT calls for
immediate action by the Southern Baptist Convention,
the Missouri Baptist Convention, and the general public
in boycotting Southwest Baptist University (SBU)
in Bolivar, Missouri due to:
*
deceptive, unethical, immoral, and possibly criminal
business practices;
* the advocacy
of defamation, abuse, and violence
against those who disagree with these unethical, immoral,
deceptive, and potentially criminal practices;
* and the
abandonment of Christian principles,
ethical and moral business precepts, and family values.
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although the "CHANGE OF HEARTS" BOYCOTT website
was to have been opened on Thursday, September 23, 1999,
we are still in the process of investigating the procedures
involved in requesting that the Missouri Baptist Convention
and its members take MORE RESOLUTE and decisive
action
against SBU and some of its officials -- during the October
25-27, 1999 Annual Meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention.
Specifically, we are considering the incorporation
the following petitions within the Boycott:
* the
DISASSOCIATION of Southwest Baptist University
from the Missouri Baptist Convention on the grounds that SBU is
NO LONGER an institution of Christian education
which upholds
the Baptist tradition and Christian moral and ethical standards
and values,
* the
DISMISSAL of several SBU OFFICIALS and LEGAL
STAFF due to their involvement in potential criminal conduct,
* the
DEFROCKING (removal from the clergy) of
(at least) one pastor for this potential criminal conduct,
* and the
DISMISSAL of the ENTIRE SBU Board
of Trustees.
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are still planning to a
PRESS RELEASE for
Sunday,
September 26, 1999 which will enumerate and give more precise
accounting of the potentially criminal conduct in question.
The PRESS RELEASE is to be distributed via the official
SBU "CHANGE OF HEART" BOYCOTT WEBSITE.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, September 27, 1999 about 8:15 am (CST)
Information has been delivered to a number of media outlets;
this information, in the form of a PRESS RELEASE
,
will be made public via a link on this website to the
official SBU Boycott website later this week.
Approximately 10 to 12 new pages of information will be
added to this site during the next week.
Please check this Updates section -- about noon
CST daily --
for more details.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday,
September 27, 1999 about 2:00 pm (CST)
We have received permission to post a Newsgroup message
which described some of the concerns and grievances of the
organizers of the
SBU "QUESTIONS OF THE HEART" PETITION
and the
SBU "CHANGE OF HEART" BOYCOTT .
Please click here to read this message:
WOUNDED
HEARTS: The SBU "QUESTIONS OF THE HEART"
Petition and the "CHANGE OF HEART"
Boycott
~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, September 30, 1999 about 12:00 noon (CST)
We have been informed that the
Southwest
Baptist University
Board of Trustees will be holding their
regularly scheduled
meeting this Monday and Tuesday (October 4 and 5) in
the
Sells Administration Building on the campus of Southwest
Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri.
Therefore, we will endeavor to have the majority of this site
* operational by this weekend * so that
the arriving Trustees
will have clear and indisputable access to this information.
Of course, we realize that it is likely that the SBU Trustees may,
as usual, do little or nothing about the situation.
During the October 25-27, 1999 Annual Meeting of the
Missouri
Baptist Convention, we will request,
among other petitions,
* the
DISMISSAL of the ENTIRE SBU Board
of Trustees
on the grounds that the current leadership of the SBU Board of
Trustees has been rendered corrupt or incompetent.
We do not know whether the inadequacy of the Trustees' leadership
results from the deceptive, self-serving , or unethical actions of
individual Trustees or the
combination of the Trustees' personalities ,
ambitions, prejudices, or apathies as a group, but
-- in any event --
it is our belief that the establishment of new
leadership at
Southwest Baptist University
has become, not merely desirable,
but unavoidable and
*mandatory*.
We do, therefore, want to establish that each one of the
Trustees
have and have had access to this information.
We will be outlining our complete reasoning for requesting
this change of leadership to the full meeting of the Missouri Baptist
Convention during the October 25-27, 1999 Annual Meeting.
[NOTE: This information will also be available via the
SBU "CHANGE OF HEART" BOYCOTT
website.]
This present website, therefore, may be briefly
unavailable for
several intervals during the next few days as we add new pages,
links, and information.
Please bear with us.
New page added --
the
Southwest
Baptist University Board of Trustees .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday, October 1, 1999, about 4:00 pm (CST)
It is rumored that Southwest Baptist University and its
associates have once again devised a plan to forcibly
detain Marie at a hospital or other facility where she
may be permanently silenced.
Their crimes would then, in their minds, be "covered by the
blood of Christ."
Ah ... we don't think so, folks.
We were threatened that SBU may do this in order to prevent
the distribution of further information and have, therefore,
made
other arrangements for Marie's medical care (just in case those
rumors proved to be true).
We will be sharing more information on Marie's current status
and progress next week in a special section.
More information concerning the unethical and possibly
illegal
actions of the SBU staff and associates will be
added to this site
TONIGHT AND THIS WEEKEND.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, October 2, 1999 about 11:00 am.
We have been asked by a number of individuals why the
negotiations with the SBU administration failed.
The reason was simple -- SBU refused to
even consider the
"Healing Hearts Proposal" which we had prepared.
We will posting the "Healing Hearts Proposal" in
its entirety
in time for ALL the
Southwest
Baptist University Board of Trustees
to read the proposal during their regular meeting this Monday
and Tuesday, October 4 and 5 on the SBU campus.
There were some minor technical problems with some transmissions
of data last night. This has caused a short delay in the posting of
the
remainder of the information for this site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, October 4, 1999 about 7:00 am.
At the request of a number of SBU Alumni, the opening
of the SBU Boycott Website has been postponed
until
after the October 4 and 5 meeting of the
SBU
Board
of Trustees -- until Thursday, October 7, 1999.
Many of us feel that this delay is unwarranted and,
perhaps,
unwise.
Have the SBU Trustees not already made their objectives
and character clear through years of less-than-noble action
... and inaction?
We believe that, faced with the revelation of unethical
and criminal conduct, the SBU Trustees may use this extra
time -- NOT in making arrangements toward
rectifying
these matters -- but in making plans to send their
legal
staff or "friends" scurrying on further errands of mischief
or harm.
After some debate, however, we have agreed that if --
for some unexplained reason -- ALL the Trustees
were
NOT aware of this unethical conduct, by the end
of this
week's meeting, each Trustee will be
FULLY apprised
of the situation and, therefore, WITHOUT EXCUSE.
The SBU Board of Trustees will begin meeting this morning.
Therefore, will be posting an "Open Letter to the SBU Board
of Trustees" and other documentation
before noon today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday, October 5, 1999 about 9:30 am
We have been assured that our scheduled "Open Letter
to the
Southwest
Baptist University Board of Trustees is not
necessary.
The full Board has and has had
complete access to information
regarding the unethical and possible criminal conduct of
SBU
employees and legal staff, including:
*a series of over
two dozen posts which have been posted in the
last several years to the newsgroup -- misc.education -- concerning
these unethical and illegal activities;
*two letters
from Marie O'Hara to Judge Michael Brown and
Judge Theodore Scott which detail the brutal and
potentially
criminal conduct of SBU's legal staff [Circuit Court of Polk County;
case number CV796-002CC];
*two Motions for
Protective orders [Circuit Court of Greene County;
case number CV191-CC-2880].
*a letter
from Marie O'Hara to the Agriculture Department
regarding
the illegal application of pesticides on the SBU
campus;
*a letter from
Marie O'Hara to the North Central Association of
Colleges and Schools (SBU's accrediting agency) concerning
SBU's deceptive and unethical business practices
and the lack of
integrity on the part of the SBU officials,
and
*the "Healing Hearts
Proposal" which was faxed to SBU President
C. Pat Taylor. (Dr. Taylor confirmed receipt of this fax in
a
conversation with Marie O'Hara on September 17, 1999).
(The information described above
-- as well as additional
information which has not yet
been made public -- is
incorporated into the SBU Boycott
Website).
We have been asked that, before posting this information
, we
allow the Trustees this one more day to consider
the evidence and
determine a just course of action.
We will allow the SBU Trustees this one more day.
However, the SBU Boycott Website WILL OPEN on
Thursday, October
7.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, October 6, 1999 about 10:30 am
The fear of Lord is the beginning of
wisdom: and the knowledge of
the holy is understanding. ... Proverbs
9:10
We have heard nothing from SBU officials regarding the rectifying
of these situations.
Why is it that we are not surprised?
The scripture records that Manasseh, the King of
Judah was "evil"
beyond all the kings before him because, although he maintained a
ceremonial worship of the Lord God , he also
"built alters (worship
centers) for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house
of the Lord." (II Kings 21:5)
Though Manasseh "worshipped" the Lord God, he also
made room
in the temples -- and in his heart -- for the worship
of other gods.
Southwest Baptist University officials, though they worship the Lord
in name, have also made room at Southwest Baptist
University for
other gods.
Who are the other gods of the SBU officials?
Baal, the god of sensuality,
sexuality, and decadent luxury?
Mammon, the god of money,
wealth, and self-serving greed?
Or, perhaps, Malluch, the god
who demanded that the Israelites
pass their children "through the fire" as a sacrifice
to insure
their own prosperity?
When SBU President C. Pat Taylor dined and entertained the SBU
Trustees at his luxury home this week, the table was crowded with
sacrifices to other gods ....
Why was there no room at the table for the worship of the God
of
Justice and Honor, Mercy or Wisdom?
Will SBU officials ever again make room in their hearts
for
the Lord God?
The SBU Boycott Website WILL OPEN as scheduled tomorrow
--
Thursday, October 7.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, October 7, 1999 about 1:15 pm (CST)
It is amazing how 24 hours can change a situation.
We have received information on an offer ...
[No, NOT from SBU -- SBU officials are
far too busy raising funds
and building buildings to bother with trivialities
like the unethical
or criminal conduct of their employees and associates].
... We are considering an offer which would allow the broader
distribution of the SBU Boycott
information through the media
before the October 25-27 meeting
of the full Missouri Baptist
Convention in Liberty,
Missouri.
We already had some press and media coverage planned,
but this
would involve payment -- funds for Marie's living
and medical
expenses.
Regardless of what decision is made on this offer, the information
which is already publicly available regarding the
unethical and
possible criminal conduct of SBU employees and
legal staff will
be transferred from the SBU Boycott Website
and posted to this
site in the next several days, including:
*the series of over
two dozen posts which have been posted in the
last several years to the newsgroup -- misc.education -- concerning
these unethical and illegal activities;
*two letters
from Marie O'Hara to Judge Michael Brown and
Judge Theodore Scott and other documents which detail the
brutal
and potentially criminal conduct of SBU's legal staff
[Circuit Court
of Polk County; case number CV796-002CC];
*the two Motions
for Protective orders [Circuit Court of Greene
County; case number CV191-CC-2880].
*the letter
from Marie O'Hara to the Agriculture Department
regarding the illegal application of pesticides
on the SBU campus;
*the letter
from Marie O'Hara to the North Central Association
of
Colleges and Schools (SBU's accrediting agency) concerning
SBU's deceptive and unethical business practices
and the lack of
integrity on the part of the SBU officials,
and *the "Healing
Hearts Proposal" which was faxed to SBU
President C. Pat Taylor. (Dr. Taylor confirmed
receipt of this
fax in a conversation with Marie O'Hara on September 17, 1999).
The opening of the
WOUNDED HEARTS: The SBU "QUESTIONS
OF THE HEART"
Petition and the "CHANGE OF HEART"
Boycott Website
will be delayed while the transfer is completed.
The posting of other materials (both taped and written)
to the
SBU Boycott Website may
be delayed several days -- depending
on what decision is made concerning media distribution.
Thank you for your patience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, October 20, 1999 about 1:00 pm (CST)
This is a very
long Update ...
Following last week's offer, we began to receive a
number of additional offers and opportunities.
[NOTE: No, still no word from Southwest Baptist
University or the Missouri Baptist Convention ...
Unfortunately, they are still too preoccupied with banquets,
boastings, and buildings to be concerned with the unethical
or criminal conduct of their employees and associates.]
We have accepted several offers -- including the
appearance
of Marie's story in an upcoming book -- and are
reviewing
and negotiating several other media opportunities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This past week, Senator Robert Torricelli (D-New
Jersey)
and Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington) co-sponsored
legislation that would impose the new requirements
on
the use of pesticides in elementary
schools.
This legislation was developed with the aid and resources
of the National Coalition for
the Misuse of Pesticides
(NCAMP) and Jay Feldman, the executive director of NCAMP.
NCAMP has been of invaluable assistance to
us -- especially
in dealing with the hostility of the SBU leadership and
legal
staff.
In one of the first of a series of violent incidents and dangerous
assaults, on October 2, 1992, after Empire District Electric
Cooperative had previously disconnected Marie's electricity,
two Deputies of the Polk County Sheriff's department
and a
social worker from the Bolivar Division of Aging
(who now
heads the department) broke down the back door and
window
of Marie's home and forcibly
entered her home.
Their stated intent in entering Marie home was:
to forcibly
detain Marie at a medical facility; to prevent Marie
from obtaining any further governmental, community, or
church assistance, and/or to discourage Marie from the
pursuit of any further civil or criminal recourse against SBU.
If it had not been for the firm intervention of NCAMP
following this incident, the associates of SBU would have
eventually succeeded -- encouraged, as they were, by SBU's
corporate attorney, Gary
Lynch, whose law firm (Douglas, Lynch,
Haun, and Kirksey) also happens to represent the County of Polk,
the City of Bolivar, the Empire District Electric Cooperative
and Citizen's Memorial Hospital .
This Monday, Oct. 25, we will post an open letter to Senators
Torricelli and Murray in which Marie describes her experiences
with the unwise, unethical, and illegal use of pesticides
on the
campus of Southwest Baptist University and requests that this
pending legislation be expanded to include ALL PUBLIC
and
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
-- elementary, middle, and junior and
senior high schools; universities, colleges, and trade or technical
schools, and childcare or daycare centers.
Please read
the
ABC News and Associated Press coverage
of the press conference concerning this legislation.
A copy of Marie's open letter to the Senators
will be sent to:
*all major and
local media outlets;
*the
former SBU Director/Trustee and honorary SBU
alumnus and current Governor of Missouri --
Mel Carnahan;
*the
Missouri Department of Agriculture;
*the federal Secretary
of Agriculture, Dan Glickman;
*the Executive
Director of the Missouri Baptist Convention,
and SBU alumnus, Jim Hill;
*the President
of the Missouri Baptist
Convention, Gary Taylor;
*the President
of the Southern
Baptist Convention, Dr. Paige Patterson;
*the former SBU Trustee and former President
of the Southern Baptist Convention ,
Dr. Thomas Elliff (who initiated the Disney Boycott);
*the Executive
Director of the Southern Baptist
Convention
Association of Southern Baptists Colleges and Schools,
Bob Agee;
*the Director
of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
of the
Southern Baptist Convention,
Dr. Richard Land;
* the Chief
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), Carol Browner;
* the Deputy Assistant
Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), Susan Wayland;
* both the federal
and Missouri Departments of Education;
*
Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois), the Speaker of the
Congressional
House of Representatives;
*
Trent Lott (R-Mississippi), the Majority Leader
of the Senate;
* and Congressman
Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the chair
of the House Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct.
[PLEASE NOTE:
This letter to House Committee on
Standards of Official Conduct is in reference to the possible
unethical and/or illegal conduct of former Trustee, President,
and CEO of Southwest Baptist University and current
Congressman of the Seventh District of Missouri -- Roy
Blunt .
Because it has become increasingly evident that Mr. Blunt and
associates fear the public revelation of their unethical and potentially
illegal conduct, we have been compelled to make
this complaint
public.
Without such public scrutiny, Mr. Blunt and his allies are likely
to continue to hound and harass Marie and her family and friends
causing further hardship, injury and disability, or
perhaps,
ultimately -- Marie's death.
Our overtures of conciliation have been consistently
met with
hostility, slander, and violence; therefore, we have no choice.
Roy Blunt is a
1970 graduate of Southwest Baptist University
with a Masters degree in History from
Southwest Missouri
State University (SMS) in
Springfield, Missouri.
He taught History at Drury College in
Springfield, Mo (1972)
and served 12 years as
Greene County Clerk in Greene County
courthouse in
Springfield, Missouri (1973-1985).
He then served as the
Missouri Secretary of State (1985-1992),
was a member of the
SBU Board of Trustees (1985-1993),
and was the President
and Chief Executive Officer of Southwest
Baptist University (December 30,
1992-November 1996)
before being elected to the Congress in
1996 .
Currently, Roy Blunt
-- who is completing his sophomore term
in Congress -- serves as a member
of the Committees on
Agriculture,
International Relations, and Transportation and
Infrastructure and is
closely allied with former pesticide
applicator and pest control business owner,
Majority Whip
Tom DeLay
(R-Texas).
Roy Blunt has
recently been named "Chief Deputy Whip" --
the position which his
friend Tom DeLay vacated in order
to accept the promotion to
"Majority Whip" -- the position of
leadership just below the
Speaker of the House.
Congressman
Blunt still maintains an
"associate" relationship
with Southwest
Baptist University and a close alliance with
the ousted former SBU
Chancellor/President, Dr. James Sells,
and his son, Ben Sells,
a former SBU Vice President.
SBU Chancellor Dr. James
Sells and his Vice President,
Gerald Andrews (along with two of the
secretarial staff)
were terminated in the Fall of 1992 after
what became
known locally as the
"Saddlegate Scandal."
In an effort to manipulate the SBU Presidential
search
Committee into naming Roy
Blunt (who had just lost
a bid for the Missouri governorship) as
the next SBU
President, Dr. James
Sells and several of his staff
distributed threatening
faxes to the new SBU presidential
appointee and his family and then
faxed misleading and
false information to the media.
The ruse was successful.
The new SBU presidential appointee, discouraged
by
the underhanded politicking, withdrew his
name from
consideration and, after a short interval
and suitable
excuses, Mr. Blunt was
named the new SBU President
in December 1992.
Dr. Sells later sued SBU to claim the remainder
of his
multiple-year contract (approximately $130,000
in
yearly salary and benefits), and SBU
quickly settled --
reportedly by paying Dr. Sells (and other
dismissed staff)
hundreds of thousands of dollars out of
SBU's operating funds.
Dr. James Sells was technically retired
when the dispute
began and, though he was terminated, he
still remains
active in SBU politics and
fundraising.
Ben Sells, Dr. James
Sells' son, who was the Campaign
Director for Roy Blunt's failed bid for
the Missouri
governorship, served as
SBU's Vice President of Admissions
and Student Life (1992-94).
In 1994,
Ben Sells left SBU -- after
questions and allegations
surfaced concerning
the complicity or participation of
both
Ben Sells and his
father in the concealment of the illegal
use of pesticides at SBU, the forging of
records, the
distribution of false, fabricated, confidential,
or deliberately
slanderous information, the misallocation of
funds, and
other unethical or illegal
conduct.
Those questions remain unanswered
...
Ben Sells now heads
the International Center for Excellence
and Leadership (ICEL) of the Foreign Mission
Board of the
Southern Baptist
Convention. ]
[Note: Marie's open letter to
the Senators is not to be confused
with the "Word of Honor"
Letters, which are also being distributed
separately.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thus far, the information released on this site has
deliberately
de-emphasized the active (and sometimes violent) role
which
SBU employees and associates have played in these
unethical
and/or illegal situations.
We did so because we wished to protect the SBU faculty
and
staff -- many of whom have themselves been unknowingly or
unwillingly caught in the web of compromise, deceit, and
malice
by the leadership of SBU and the Missouri Baptist Convention.
We sincerely and deeply regret that we will no longer
be able
to extend such protection in upcoming postings.
We apologize in advance for this, but we know of no other
way to insure that the members of the
Missouri Baptist Convention
have access to ALL this information before the
October 25-27
meeting.
It was our hope that this situation could be resolved
privately.
However, it now appears that -- because of the irreconcilable
stubbornness and apathy of the SBU and MBC leadership -- this
may no longer be possible.
Your prayers for these situations are welcomed and appreciated.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday, October 26, 1999 about 11:00 am (CST)
But mark this, there will be terrible times in the last days,
people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful,
proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control,
brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited,
lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God, having a form
of godliness, but denying its power
-- have nothing to do
with them.
II Timothy
3:1 (thru verse 9)
This is the scripture that
Dr. Ray Leininger
--
SBU
Trustee,
member of the Missouri Baptist Convention
Executive
Board and the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Bolivar,
Missouri -- used this
past Sunday.
We can only hope that someone else is listening
... and that
Dr. Leininger hears -- and does -- what
he instructs in his own
sermons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Several advocates were dispatched to the Missouri Baptist
Convention meeting which began yesterday and will
continue
through Wednesday, October 27 in Liberty, Missouri.
We were dismayed to learn that the unethical and illegal
involvement of the
Missouri Baptist
Convention leadership
may be
*more complex and
corrupt*
than we had
originally believed.
If this information is independently verified, Marie's
letter
to the Senators -- which is currently awaiting posting
--
will be modified later today
to incorporate this new
material.
Although we will continue to press these matters elsewhere
and through other means, it does seem fairly
apparent that
the MBC leadership wishes to
block any discussion of this and
that we may
*NOT*
be permitted to voice our concerns during
this meeting -- AGAIN.
Why doesn't the Missouri
Baptist Convention -- which owns
and operates SBU -- want to deal with this?
However, the leadership of the
Missouri Baptist
Convention
is without excuse and has been intimately aware
of the
situation and continuously informed and updated.
Therefore, we will continue distributing information
via this website and through the media to other members
of the Missouri Baptist Convention and the public
-- including the SBU alumni who will be arriving
on
campus this week for Homecoming.
In response to several questions from others --
*Yes,
within six months of the
break-in and assault,
Marie DID FILE a written (certified)
CIVIL RIGHTS
COMPLAINT against Southwest Baptist University,
the City of Bolivar, the Polk County Division of
Aging, the Polk County Sheriff's Department, the
Polk County Community Center, and Empire District
Electric Cooperative.
However, the governing agencies took no action to
protect Marie from further assault and, unfortunately,
the harassment and slander has continued.
And, yes, additional
litigation and criminal charges are
most probably pending as
-- regrettably -- this may be the
only method of communicating with a corrupt, self-absorbed,
brutal, and dangerous leadership.
We ask your prayers for all those affected by these
situations.
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