A lawsuit naming the Southern Baptist Convention and its Executive Committee, among other defendants, has been dismissed.
Additional defendants were Pawleys Island Community Church, Pawleys Island Christian Academy (PICA), former senior pastor Donald James Williams, his wife Virginia Lee “Ginny” Williams, former academy director Jennifer “Niki” Howard, unnamed church elders and Warren Spencer Perry.
The suit, filed Aug. 4 in the U.S. District Court of the District of South Carolina, was brought by parents of an unidentified student at PICA. They alleged that the defendants allowed Perry, a convicted and registered sex offender, to occupy a position that gave him recurring access to children enrolled at PICA. Perry was arrested in July for violation of probation. Pastor Don Williams, his wife Ginny and two other church and school officials also were arrested in connection with the case.
Judge Richard M. Gergel agreed with SBC attorneys that the court lacked jurisdiction in the case.