I had intended my next post to be about. LC and its relationship to the LBC. However, something has happened that I'd like to address first.
Lest one would wonder about how dissenting voices are
treated by those in positions of leadership in the Louisiana Baptist Convention,
I present to you the following email I received from Tommy French, Chairman of
the Board of Trustees of Louisiana College, just a little over 6 hours after I
published a blog post titled Part I – On Power and Protection last
Friday:
Jay:
In your blog, “The Crescent Crier,” dated
March 7, 2014 titled Part I – On Power and Protection you wrote, “My hope is
that certain recordings (which I understand to exist but have not heard the
content) would be released to the public.”
Then you wrote in the final paragraph, “I
have recordings to back me up and would be more than happy to comment if
provoked.”
Why would anyone with integrity want
recordings released to the public if they had no knowledge of the content?
Are the recordings you possess, but have
not heard the content, the same ones that you say will back you up?
You are not authorized to release any sensitive
and confidential information concerning Louisiana College
Please comply with my directive so there
will not be a need for further action to recover the items and restrain you
from improper board member conduct. Please notify me of any issues you would
like to have addressed by the Board of Trustees for agenda consideration. As a
board member, you should not publically voice displeasure, in reference to any Louisiana College Louisiana College
If you possess any recordings that are
related to Louisiana College they are the possession of Louisiana College
T. C. French, Jr.
Chairman of the Board
What follows is my response to Dr. French:
Dr. French,
I am pleased to respond to your email
dated March 7, 2014 regarding my personal blog post titled Part I – On Power
and Protection concerning my motion to the Louisiana Baptist Convention about
the influence of the Executive Director of the LBC and that office’s interaction
with the Boards of Trustees of the Convention.
Through detailed research, systematic exegesis
and a thorough summary I showed that the Executive Director has no seat on the
Boards of Trustees. Considering all the information I shared, it is
disappointing that you only noted a sentence or two from the very beginning and
end of my discourse which has nothing to do with the topic of my post. With
that said, however you did ask a reasonable question regarding my reference to
audio recordings.
You asked, “Are the recordings you
possess, but have not heard the content, the same ones that you say will back
you up?” The answer is no, they are not the same (although I suppose some of
them may corroborate my concerns, depending on what is said on the recordings).
As evidenced by Sunday morning’s article in the Town Talk newspaper there are
recordings that have been made which clearly question the truthfulness of the
LC College President and arguably “exonerates” those who brought the
whistleblower allegations. I heard rumblings of the existence of such
recordings but I had never personally heard them nor did I have empirical proof
of the existence such recordings… that is, of course, until now… and it is as I
expected it to be.
The recordings that will “back me up” are
the official recordings of the proceedings of the Louisiana College Board of
Trustee meetings regularly made by the Board secretary. As a Board member, who
attended the meetings in question, I requested and received these recordings
from the Board secretary, just as others have done previously (including, as I
understand, the President of the college). I believe these recordings validate
my testimony of undue influence by the Executive Director (especially
considering that he should not even be present during the Executive Session
meetings since he is not allowed a seat on the Board of Trustees as articulated
by the Bylaws of the Louisiana Baptist Convention).
I made a request for copies of three recorded
meetings, at separate times, in order to help organize my thoughts, provide further
clarity, and to answer certain questions I had regarding rules of order, procedure
and conflicting information in order that I would be best equipped to carry out
my fiduciary responsibilities as a Board member.
I assume you know, Dr. French, that Title
12 “Corporations and associations” of the LA Revised Statues 12:226, regarding
the liability of officers and directors in relationship to corporations and
members, requires the following of officers of corporations:
A. Officers and directors shall be deemed
to stand in a fiduciary relation to the corporation and its members, and shall
discharge the duties of their respective positions in good faith, and with that
diligence, care, judgment and skill which ordinarily prudent men would exercise
under similar circumstances in like positions.
B. Any officers or directors who
knowingly, or without the exercise of reasonable care and inquiry, consent to
the issuance of shares in violation of the provisions of this Chapter, shall be
liable jointly and severally to the corporation and any person who suffers any
loss or damage as a result thereof.
It is clear that I am neither beholden to
Chairman of the Board of Trustees or to the President of Louisiana College, but
to the Louisiana Baptist Convention which twice elected me to the Board of
Trustees and calls me to do my work “in good faith, and with that diligence,
care, judgment and skill which ordinarily prudent men would exercise under
similar circumstances.” Further, it is clear to me that any Trustee “who
knowingly, or without the exercise of reasonable care and inquiry…” neglects
his duty, “shall be liable jointly and severally to the corporation and any
person who suffers any loss or damage as a result thereof.”
Thus, as a duly elected Trustee of
Louisiana College, I have a fiduciary responsibility to do, not what I am told
to do by you or the college President, but to do what is right and good on
behalf of all Louisiana Baptists.
Furthermore, as I have already noted, I
have in my possession an unsigned copy of the “confidentiality” document that is
given to Trustees. After a lengthy time of investigation and contemplation, I
discovered that our governing documents not only DO NOT REQUIRE a trustee to sign
a confidentiality agreement, there is not even a mention of any sort of confidentiality
agreement for the trustees to sign. I have examined our Articles of
Incorporation, our Constitution and Bylaws and our Policies and Procedures of
the College (of which I have intimate knowledge having been appointed to the
small committee to revise and update the policy and procedures manuals of LC in
2009 or 2010) and no such mandate exists.
Upon election to my second term and after
coming to the realization (1) that I felt as if we were not always being
presented with the whole truth about issues related to the college, (2) my
concern over stalled/failed programs which were eating through our budget along
with the deplorable state of our facilities, and (3) the realization that trustees
are not required to sign such a document, I DID NOT SIGN the document and further,
rejected another copy given to me at a later date. However, even though I did
not signed the copy (dated March 2012) and still have it in my possession, I
take very seriously the responsibility given to me and have not divulged any
information that has been presented in our Board’s Executive Session meetings. As
I stated in my Friday blog, “the only time I will speak publicly about issues
related to my Trusteeship is when I find unfair treatment or what I perceived
to be untruths being presented to the public.”
You asked, “Why would anyone with
integrity want recordings released to the public if they had no knowledge of
the content?” Again, I was not speaking about the recordings of which I knew
nothing (although I did hear murmurings about what might be on those recordings
and I always want truth to be exposed). Rather, I was speaking to the recorded
meeting minutes that I hold. To further answer your inquiry, it is due to my
desire to be a man of integrity that I reserve the right to speak out about
injustice, influence and intimidation while serving on the Board. And as you
well know [this statement is redacted due to information it contained regarding an
Executive Session issue], so do me a favor and do not
lecture me about truthfulness and transparency.
You charge, “You are not authorized to
possess them and you are directed to submit them to me at [redacted address] by March 14, 2014.” You sir, are incorrect. At the beginning of my second term
I did not sign the document you are referencing and I am not required to follow
your directive here. I am a duly elected member of the Board of Trustees of
Louisiana College and I am more than entitled to these documents and
recordings. I will not be bullied, nor will I be threatened.
Finally you say, “As a board member, you
should not publicly voice displeasure, in reference to any Louisiana College Louisiana College
I continue to remain steadfast in standing
for transparency but (regarding matters of Executive Session along with numerous
other bits of privileged information) have leaked no information, shared no
documents, spoken to no one about Executive Session issues, nor have
distributed or allowed anyone to listen to the recordings of our meetings. Although
I am not required to, I will consider turning over my documents and recordings
to the school when I rotate off the Board in November. Let me rephrase that, I
would have considered it, but after being threatened with legal action I
probably won’t since I might need some of the information to defend myself if I
am attacked any further. In the spirit of truth and transparency I will also be
posting the text of your letter and my response on my blog (excluding one line
where I mention an Executive Session issue… because I don’t leak information).
In Veritas et Perspicuitas,
Jay Adkins, A.S., B.A.,
M.Div., Th.M.
A Louisiana
Baptist Pastor and Member of the Board of Trustees of Louisiana College
6 comments:
Thank you sir for your courage and honesty. I am thankful that there are people of integrity working for the good of the college, even in the face of so much opposition.
Even prior to the day of Dr. Aguillard's "election" as president of the college, the monotonous cry in the face of every scandal has been "if only you knew the WHOLE truth, you would see that we are righteous! But alas, we cannot share the whole truth (because of confidentiality, or because we do not wish to shame those whose grievous offenses have caused them to be fired, etc.)." This has been coupled with an obsessive campaign to hide the truth whenever it threatens to emerge, using any weapons available (including fear and intimidation, legal threats, lies, gossip and slander).
Dr. French's first question to you is the most telling. "Why would anyone with integrity want recordings released to the public if they had no knowledge of the content?" The answer is simple; because a person of integrity would have nothing to fear from those recordings, regardless of the content. The people who might be hurt by them would be those who had acted wrongly, and since lied to cover up the fact.
I am reminded of the quote by Chesterton, “The whole truth is generally the ally of virtue; a half-truth is always the ally of some vice.” I have often wondered if Dr. Aguillard and his friends ever stumbled upon this idea, in their hunt to find allies for their particular set of vices.
-TJ Webb
Louisiana College, Class of 2007
Amen. Thank you for sharing and for standing up for my alma mater, Jay. I will be praying for you as you continue your stand.
Amen. Jay, thanks for sharing and for standing up for my alma mater. I will be praying for you as you continue.
Jay,
I find it interesting that Mr. French seems so threatened by your expressions. Reasonable observers should look at this dialogue carefully and smell the rotten in the cotton. It is time Baptists stop blindly trusting, as if Baptist leadership is beyond any possibility of unethical conduct or power mongering. Keep the posts coming.
As someone who is a Christian and an Alumni of LC, I am disgusted that all of this has grown to the level it has. This is not the way those in power at a Christian College should be acting. Cover-ups, threatening students, alumni, and faculty.... Sounds more like the mob is in charge rather than a bunch of Baptist pastors and theologians.
Awesome. As an alum and a follower of what has been going on for the last few years, you have my support.
Post a Comment