Lawsuit against former Southwestern Seminary president settled
Faith & Religion
Post Date:
July 20, 2026
Lawsuit against former Southwestern Seminary president settled
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Paige Patterson at a Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Atlanta, June 16, 1999. Associated Press / Photo by Erik S. Lesser, file
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A former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary student settled her defamation lawsuit against former seminary president Paige Patterson last week, just before the case would have gone to trial. The former student, the seminary, and Patterson agreed to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning that it can’t be refiled. The parties agreed to each cover their own legal costs and fees.
While the lawsuit was against Patterson personally, the seminary was still involved in the settlement agreement because its insurance policy includes legal defense coverage for current and former employees, according to court documents.
The seminary fired Patterson in 2018 over mishandling abuse claims, including those of the former student. The woman, known only as Jane Roe, originally filed the lawsuit against both Patterson and the seminary in 2019, claiming they mishandled her sexual assault by a fellow student. The fellow student accused of assault, referred to as John Doe in court documents, was investigated and expelled after firearms were found in his room. He later died, according to the court documents.
Roe alleged that Patterson circulated false claims about her, including that she lied about her rape and had consensual sex in campus buildings. During the following protracted legal battle, some of Roe’s claims were dismissed, but her defamation claim against Patterson was set for a July 20 trial. Last week’s settlement ended her legal case.
What did the seminary say about the settlement? The seminary was grateful that the matter was amicably resolved for all involved, it told WORLD in an email. However, it didn’t provide further details of the settlement. The seminary’s statement also emphasized that it denied any liability or wrongdoing in the case. Its leaders were thankful to put this chapter behind them and remain focused on their mission, according to the statement.
Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Mary Jackson’s report on the 2022 sexual abuse scandal in the Southern Baptist Convention.
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Elizabeth is a breaking news reporter at WORLD. She is a graduate of World Journalism Institute and Patrick Henry College. She resides in northern Virginia with her husband.
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