A former Southern Baptist seminary professor and interim provost has been charged with obstruction of justice in a sexual misconduct case, the Justice Division introduced Tuesday.
Matt Quinn, previously an administrator and professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, gave false notes to the FBI throughout an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual misconduct on the Fort Value-based seminary. He was sentenced Tuesday, in line with the DOJ.
“As charged, Matthew Quinn tried to intervene with a federal grand jury investigation by creating false notes to help his personal lies,” Damian Williams, U.S. Lawyer for the Southern District of New York, stated in a press release. “The prison obstruction cost introduced in the present day ought to exemplify the seriousness of any particular person’s try and intervene or intervene with a federal investigation.”
Queen, who was named pastor of Pleasant Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina earlier this 12 months, couldn’t be reached for remark.
First official acknowledgment by DOJ of investigation into Southern Baptist Conference and its entities. Southern Baptist leaders introduced in 2022 that that they had been subpoenaed by the Justice Division and promised to cooperate.
Information of the DOJ investigation follows the discharge of a report from Guidepost Options that discovered SBC leaders mistreated abuse survivors for years, denied accountability for the actions of native church buildings and downplayed the variety of sexual abuse incidents within the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
Earlier this 12 months, the SBC’s govt committee introduced that the DOJ’s investigation into the committee had ended, inflicting confusion. The chief committee later issued a press release saying the DOJ’s investigation into SBC and its entities stays open.
In a press release Tuesday, the DOJ offered extra particulars in regards to the investigation.
“Since roughly 2022, the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York (‘US Lawyer’s Workplace’) and the FBI have been investigating allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct involving a nationwide spiritual sect (‘Sect’). entity, and the alleged concealment of such allegations by people and entities related to the group,” in line with a press release.
As a part of that investigation, Southwest should present the FBI with any paperwork concerning the abuse. Nonetheless, in line with the DOJ, a seminary official obtained a report of alleged sexual abuse by a pupil within the fall of 2022. The alleged abuse was reported to the college’s campus police, although to not the FBI, however no additional motion was taken
A Southwestern worker, referred to by the DOJ as “Worker-1,” was later requested by a Southwestern chief (Worker-2) to destroy a doc in regards to the incident and the seminary’s inaction, in line with the DOJ. Rani was allegedly within the room with Worker-1 when it occurred, however in an interview the FBI alleged that she didn’t hear Worker-2 inform her to destroy the report.
He later produced a set of faux notes from the assembly, the DOJ alleges, which he introduced to the FBI in June 2023—however gave conflicting tales about when the notes have been written, later admitting the notes have been faux.
Picture: Screengrab/RNS
Matt Quinn in a video from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in November 2022.
Based on the DOJ, “On June 21, 2023, Matthew Quinn testified beneath oath that he really heard Worker-2 instantly ‘go’ the doc to Worker-1.
Queen, 49, faces as much as 20 years in jail after being charged with one rely of falsifying data.
“Matthew Quinn, an interim provost, failed to tell the FBI of a conspiracy to destroy proof associated to an ongoing sexual misconduct investigation and as a substitute made false notes to investigators. Queen’s alleged actions willfully violated courtroom orders and delayed justice for victims of sexual abuse,” FBI Assistant Director in Cost James Smith stated in a press release.
In a press release, Southwestern stated the scholar concerned within the alleged abuse was suspended and later withdrawn from the college. The seminary additionally stated it reported the matter to the DOJ as a result of it was required to take action.
The college stated the alleged actions described within the criticism have been “opposite to the seminary’s values.”
“After the seminary realized of Queen’s actions in June 2023, she was instantly positioned on administrative go away and resigned as interim provost,” the college stated in a press release. “All workers accused of wrongdoing on this matter are now not employed on the seminary.”
Southwestern, as soon as one of many nation’s largest seminaries, has fallen on arduous instances lately A report by faculty leaders final 12 months detailed years of monetary mismanagement, together with spending $140 million over 20 years of its price range. The college’s former president, who left within the fall of 2022, is suing the college for defamation.
The college additionally settled a lawsuit with the sufferer of legendary SBC chief Paul Pressler in 2023, and in 2021, sued to regain management of a Texas basis that had been seized by former workers, who tried to divert cash from the lawsuit. Seminary
