Sheri Klouda PhD vs. SWBTS, Paige Patterson

[preachinjesus]

Wow, Dr. Sheri Klouda has filed a lawsuit against SWBTS and Paige Patterson.

Here's the pdf of the filing: http://baptistblog.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/district-court.pdf

She's suing the above parties for:

1. Breach of Contract
2. Fraud
3. Promisory Estoppel (basically withdrawling a promise previously made)
4. Declaratory Judgment
5. Defamation

I'm at a loss for words really. This will be interesting she is asking for back pay, insurance benefits, and suffering damages. As a graduate of SWBTS I think this is a matter for serious inquiry.

Here's a link for the story: http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6206117

SWBTS is also trying to kick off Dr. McKissic for holding a different theological view than some. Very troubling events.

Well, obviously I'm posting this for your replies. So please, what do you think?

 

[Jimmy C]

Preach - I posted this over on Bart Barber's blog. Bart tends to be very pro patterson, anti Burleson, but tends to disagree very agreeably. I have come to respect his writings and thoughts.

This is a sad situation all the way around. Dr klouda should not have had to sue, perhaps she shouldn't have sued. The problem from her stand point is the same trustess who hired her, then allowed her to be fired are going to be the ones to decide what if anything else is due her?

Lets face it, those trustees (with the exception of at least one) are strong loyalists of Dr Patterson. The only way that Dr Klouda is treated fairly by the trustees is with an entirely new board with no nepotism at all. It is probably the only way that Dr Patterson is dealt with fairly either - at this point anything the board decides is clouded (Klouded?) by distrust from all but the partisans.

I wish she hadn't had to sue, but I am one who feels that both she and Karen Bullock were treated most unfairly. I doubt that Bullock will join in, from what I know of her, this is not her style. She also did not experience the financial hardship that Dr Klouda experienced.

My hope is that the trustees will meet and offer a very generous settlement and that Dr Klouda takes it. I hope that part of that settlement is an apology from Dr Patterson.

 

[preachinjesus]

I think we're on the same page on all this.

I've talked with a couple of trustees and they've all given me the same silly party line on this business. The trustee system in the SBC is a joke for the most part (for the most part.) I doubt they'll offer her a settlement out of the gate...but the writing is on the wall imho.

They should give her a robust settlement (one equal to that of Dilday) and apologize terrifically to her and others.

Dr. Bullock, while certainly entitled to her part, will stay out...she's in a good place these days.

Sad that it had to come to this. As a SWBTS student both Drs. Klouda and Bullock were top of the line.

interesting that this is coming down to gender issues and, on McKissic's end a bit of a race thing.

 

[StefanM]

I'm glad I'm not involved with SWBTS right now...

 

[2 Timothy2:1-4]

Christians suing other Christians. Now there is a move made without the Holy Ghost. You would think a "Professor" would know better.

 

[rbell]

What's sad is...

I made my seminary choices based upon:

• what they offered to someone who majored in religion (an abbreviated M.Div, without all those repeat courses); and,
• The "stability" of the school. I didn't want to graduate, go looking for a church, and spend 3/4 of my interview time talking about SBC politics or a mess at the seminary.

When I went to SWBTS, it was stable (this was just before Dilday was dismissed). It's turned into a bona fide soap opera now.

The people I feel sorry for are those poor graduates. They go to interview for a church now, and they have to either walk a political tightrope, or spend much of their interview time hashing out school politics. Sad.

 

[mcdirector]

What's sad is...

I made my seminary choices based upon:

• what they offered to someone who majored in religion (an abbreviated M.Div, without all those repeat courses); and,
• The "stability" of the school. I didn't want to graduate, go looking for a church, and spend 3/4 of my interview time talking about SBC politics or a mess at the seminary.

When I went to SWBTS, it was stable (this was just before Dilday was dismissed). It's turned into a bona fide soap opera now.

The people I feel sorry for are those poor graduates. They go to interview for a church now, and they have to either walk a political tightrope, or spend much of their interview time hashing out school politics. Sad.

Thank you for these comments. I do not think it is sad that Dr. Klouda is suing. I think it is sad that she has been placed in this position.

And now as my son graduates with an MDiv in May . . . well, I continue to pray for God's guidance.

 

[Timsings]

Christians suing other Christians. Now there is a move made without the Holy Ghost. You would think a "Professor" would know better.

This comment suggests that Dr. Klouda should "turn the other cheek". Maybe she should. However, a case can be made that she should take action so that other professors who come after her will not subjected to this kind of treatment. Part of the success of the fundamentalist takeover was based on the reluctance of employees to sue for not accepting the party line.

Tim Reynolds

 

[2 Timothy2:1-4]

This comment suggests that Dr. Klouda should "turn the other cheek". Maybe she should. However, a case can be made that she should take action so that other professors who come after her will not subjected to this kind of treatment. Part of the success of the fundamentalist takeover was based on the reluctance of employees to sue for not accepting the party line.

Tim Reynolds

And yet scripture tells us to do just the opposite.

 

[jim1203]

Christians suing other Christians. Now there is a move made without the Holy Ghost. You would think a "Professor" would know better.

Why would a Christian treat another Christian this way. You would think they would know better

 

[2 Timothy2:1-4]

I fail to see how she has been harmed. However dragging secular judges into it just creates a much bigger mess. The secualr world has no business in Christian education. The more we bring them in the harder it is to keep them out.

 

[mcdirector]

I fail to see how she has been harmed. However dragging secular judges into it just creates a much bigger mess. The secualr world has no business in Christian education. The more we bring them in the harder it is to keep them out.

The statement that I bolded is the difference in our views.

The fact of the matter is that even with SWBTS changing views, they could have handled the matter in a ways that would not have harmed their reputation or Dr. Klouda's.

 

[StraightAndNarrow]

Christians suing other Christians. Now there is a move made without the Holy Ghost. You would think a "Professor" would know better.

I would think a"President" would know better than to discrimate against someone because of gender.

 

[2 Timothy2:1-4]

I am interested to know how anyones reputation has been harmed.

 

[palagislandgirl]

I was a student there when Dr. Klouda was fired last year. I have personally met her. The majority of the students that I spoke with that had her for a class where in shock. She was as I was told the professor to have for the classes that she taught. I am not involved there at the moment, but it is sad that she was treated the way that she was.

 

[rbell]

I fail to see how she has been harmed.

I'm not sure how I feel about her suing (a bit hesitant I guess) but I see very clearly how she's been harmed:

Financially.
Professionally.
Her reputation.

 

[2 Timothy2:1-4]

Great. How has she been harmed:

Financially?

Professionally?

Reputation?

 

[rbell]

Great. How has she been harmed:

Financially?

Professionally?

Reputation?

• Her and her husband bought a house in Ft. Worth not long before her hiring. It hasn't sold.
• She now has a "firing" on her resume'. Even though it's not her fault, she must always explain that.

 

[dan e.]

I also seem to remember reading about some health care issues within her family, and it caused some struggles not having health insurance because of the firing. Am I wrong on this? I think I'm remembering correctly. It seems a little ignorant of the situation to suggest that they have not been harmed. Who knows what they've been through and had to deal with because of this? Suing may be debatable....but it seems she needs something more than what she got, which was nothing.

 

[preachinjesus]

I fail to see how she has been harmed.

you might want to get aquainted with the particulars of this issue before you make crass judgments against the people involved. Your postulations reveal your lack of true knowledge of the case and how quickly you are willing to jump to conclusions about it.

Dr. Klouda has suffered in several areas. Please read them and tell me where she is wrong for having suffered.

1. Her husband is in the midst of a struggle against cancer. He has been having a particularly difficult time with it and was forced out of employment. So Dr. Sheri Klouda continued to work at SWBTS and was able to have the medical benefits that came as part of her service at SWBTS. When she was removed (without severence) she lost those benefits and they, as a family, had to move forward with his medical care on their own. The adminstration knew that this would be case.

My question here is: without caring about her employment or dismissal, wouldn't it have been the Christian thing to do in extending her medical benefits (a couple of hundred dollars a month) until she found new work?

During this time they suffered great financial ruin as they had to take on expensive treatments and other expenses.

2. They had to take their daughter out of her school that she had many friennds at during her junior (or senior) year and move to a new location in a new state. I know this happens to people sometimes and some will say she needed to get over it...but I'll go toe-to-toe with them and say it was not needed.

3. The family had to pay for the cost of the move and all of the other costs for buying a new house and so forth which wouldn't have needed to happen.

4. Dr. Klouda had to begin to look for work again while out of a job. This makes the process more complicated and difficult. It is always more difficult to explain to a new employer why you are currently out of a job than to when you have one.

5. Dr. Klouda's professional reputation was harmed. Take it from an academic stand point: why would a seminary that trained her and had her on faculty for 6 years suddenly release her just before her tenure was up for consideration? Does it say something about her style or ability. Lest we forget colleges and universities rarely check student reviews before hiring someone. Dr. Klouda was one of the finest educators at SWBTS I ever had...her abilities outstretched most of her male counterparts.

6. Personal. Okay say someone lies to you...fraud is the real legal term...says that you have nothing to worry about and then 6 months later "let's you go." How do you feel? Couple that with pressing family concerns that you did nothing to bring on...now how do you feel?

So my question to you...do you think she still is at fault here?

However dragging secular judges into it just creates a much bigger mess. The secualr world has no business in Christian education. The more we bring them in the harder it is to keep them out.

We wouldn't have to bring in the secular authorities if the administration at SWBTS would act like Christ in this instance. Sometimes we must bring in the secular authorities to recompense some situations. This is certainly one of them.

You're tone is wrong in all of this imho.