Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary settles ex-president’s lawsuit without payout
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth has settled a lawsuit brought by a former president who said he resigned after pressure from leadership over disagreeing politically with seminary leaders and donors.
Adam Greenway, the former president, won’t get any money in the settlement, according to court records. The agreement did require Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to release a joint statement, something Greenway’s original lawsuit, filed in March, said was supposed to happen but didn’t.
The seminary told the Star-Telegram Tuesday that it did release the joint statement, just not the way Greenway thought ir was required to under a previous settlement reached around the time of his resignation.
The statement said both the seminary and Greenway are “grateful to have this resolution” and that seminary leadership prays “God will richly bless the Greenway family as well as Southwestern Seminary in the years ahead.”
The joint statement was released Sept. 9 but the seminary changed its tone the same day when it made its own individual statement, saying Greenway went to leadership the day before his deposition and offered to drop the case.
“We believe the manner of this resolution not only vindicates the seminary, it further demonstrates the allegations made in the lawsuit were without merit,” the statement read. “Grateful for the favor God has bestowed on the seminary since the fall of 2022, we are now eager to re-focus our full energies and resources on carrying out the mission of Southwestern Seminary.”
Greenway alleged in the lawsuit that he was pressured to resign for publicly saying that the seminary and churches in America shouldn’t be focused on politics or supporting former President Donald Trump.
The seminary responded with a statement at the time saying Greenway was encouraged to resign over mismanagement of funds. Greenway’s lawsuit said that wasn’t true and that documentation was created or manipulated to make it look that way after his public statements and used to pressure his resignation.
The settlement required the joint statement to be released, as well as for the seminary to ship boxes of Greenway’s personal belongings. The settlement also prohibited Greenway from making claims about the seminary, his tenure as president or the way in which he resigned.
The seminary agreed not to “assert any and all claims” against Greenway or others associated with him related to the lawsuit, his employment or resignation from Southwestern Theological Seminary, his tenure as president and “any other acts or omissions,” according to the settlement.
Greenway served as president from 2019 to 2022.
This story was originally published September 10, 2024 at 1:52 PM.