A lengthy legal battle involving Paige Patterson, former president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a former student has concluded. The lawsuit, which centered on allegations of defamation and mishandling of sexual assault reports, was dismissed “with prejudice” by a US District Court just days before it was scheduled to go to trial.
The case was originally filed in 2019 by a former student, identified in court documents as “Jane Roe.” She alleged that Patterson and the seminary defamed her in connection with her reports of sexual assault. The public narrative surrounding the allegations often framed Patterson as unsupportive, or even disbelieving, of the student’s account. However, the situation was more complex. It has been noted that Patterson did, in fact, report the incident to the police. Despite this action, he faced accusations of mishandling the subsequent handling of the matter, a distinction that significantly shaped the public discourse and led many to feel he was unfairly “dragged through the mud.”
The resolution, which came as a sealed, confidential settlement agreed upon by Patterson, Southwestern Seminary, and the plaintiff, effectively bars either party from refiling the case. Attorneys involved have reportedly described the outcome as amicable. The dismissal brings a formal end to a legal chapter that began years ago, after a period of significant turmoil for both Patterson and the institution he once led.
