Regardless of dealing with a most penalty of as much as 5 years in jail for mendacity to federal investigators trying right into a case of alleged sexual abuse, former pastor Matthew Queen obtained six months of home arrest after repenting for his crime.
In a six-page judgment on Wednesday, U.S. District Decide for the Southern District of New York Lewis Kaplan sentenced Queen to 6 months of residence confinement throughout which period he’s not allowed to go away besides to get medical take care of himself or his spouse or with permission from his probation officer. He will even need to put on an digital monitor.
Queen was ordered to take part in an outpatient psychological well being therapy program, not incur any new traces of credit score or credit score prices with out the permission of his probation officer and pay a complete of $2,100 in fines and assessments.
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Queen’s prices stem from a U.S. Division of Justice investigation into “a number of SBC entities” following a Guidepost Options report detailing how some leaders mishandled allegations of abuse and mistreated victims of abuse.
Final yr, the DOJ determined to not file any prices in opposition to the Protestant denomination however did pursue prices in opposition to Queen, a former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary evangelism professor, provost and church pastor, for falsifying information linked to its investigation.
Kaplan seems to have additionally been moved by some 59 letters submitted in court docket and reviewed by The Christian Submit from household, mates, former college students and colleagues, testifying to Queens’ ethical character and the unlucky circumstances that led him to betray himself and virtually made him take his life.
“Dr. Queen acknowledges that the Southern Baptist Conference, together with SWBTS, has had a historical past of overlaying up and minimizing sexual abuse allegations. He opposes such cover-ups and has all the time supported victims of such abuse,” Queen’s legal professional, Sam A. Schmidt, wrote in a March 2 letter to Kaplan simply three days earlier than his consumer was sentenced on Wednesday.
“When the chance has arisen, he has acted on behalf of those that have been abused. The latest time was this previous fall whereas on administrative go away from Pleasant Avenue Baptist church. A girl advised his spouse and him about her expertise. Each Dr. Queen and his spouse defined to the girl how necessary it was to report the abuse each for herself and the group,” Schmidt added.
“Dr. Queen additionally famous that as a compulsory reporter his obligation was to report it if she didn’t. After their dialogue, the girl agreed to have them name the police on her behalf, and each Matthew and Hope Queen [his wife] stayed along with her whereas she spoke to a neighborhood police officer. Dr. Queen additionally gave different info to the police officer and defined that, as a compulsory reporter, he was facilitating her report.”
The case in opposition to Queen, 49, was opened following a November 2022 report of alleged sexual abuse dedicated by a Texas Baptist School pupil, in accordance with a press release by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Seminary officers later mentioned they helped facilitate the arrest of the scholar who withdrew from the faculty.
Earlier than the sexual abuse allegation in November 2022, the Justice Division issued a grand jury subpoena to the seminary in October 2022, which required the seminary to provide all paperwork in its possession associated to allegations of sexual abuse in opposition to anybody employed by or related to the seminary, amongst different issues.
Investigators mentioned Queen “tried to intrude with a federal grand jury investigation by creating false notes in an try to corroborate his personal lies.” He pleaded responsible final October.
In a submission to Kaplan on Feb. 19, Schmidt, his spouse and others defined that Queen was beneath loads of stress across the time the investigation started.
“This letter informs of the stress and difficulties Dr. Queen confronted in 2023 because of his new place as provost and the persevering with tense ambiance at SWBTS because of the turnover of a number of presidents and provosts. Concern of dismissals was however one explanation for the stress,” Schmidt wrote.
Queen’s spouse additionally shared her observations of how the investigation impacted her husband.
“Mrs. Queen not solely offers perception [into] the difficulties that her husband was dealing with in early 2023 but additionally its influence on him. On account of the DOJ’s subpoena and investigation, Dr. Queen was advised by the SWBTS president to not focus on the investigation with anybody else,” Schmidt mentioned.
In her letter, Hope Queen defined how her husband struggled with the “enforced silence” across the investigation.
“We didn’t even inform our prolonged household. Matt has all the time been an excessive extrovert, and the enforced silence, coupled with intimidation, led to a downward spiral in his psychological well being which was fueled by the dysfunctional ambiance on the seminary. Matt was ceaselessly showing as a visitor on podcasts to speak about his guide; but he was anxious and scared relating to the investigation,” Hope Queen wrote.
“Having been led to consider that he could be in authorized hassle if he advised anybody in regards to the investigation and warranted that the seminary legal professionals represented him, Matt sought assist from neither a counselor nor an legal professional. He had questions in regards to the investigation however didn’t really feel the freedom to ask the seminary’s attorneys out of concern of repercussions at work,” she added.
“Matt’s nervousness grew. Frequently, I walked into our bed room and located him on our mattress along with his chest heaving and limbs shaking. I watched with concern however felt trapped and not using a means for him to get assist as a result of instruction to not inform anybody in regards to the investigation.”
In his personal letter to Kaplan in search of mercy, Queen expressed deep regret for what he did and described the primary 5 years after Paige Patterson’s presidency led to 2018, as “tumultuous.” He mentioned when present president of Southwestern Seminary, David Dockery, requested him to function the establishment’s interim provost and vp for educational administration, he “was not able to perform nicely throughout the dysfunctional dynamics of the time.”
“Because the DOJ’s investigation unfolded, I felt anxious and overwhelmed. I get pleasure from working with others in collaboration however being advised that I couldn’t focus on the scenario or the accompanying investigation with anybody despatched me right into a state of tension in contrast to something I had ever skilled,” Queen defined. “The isolation and feeling of being unable to belief some colleagues and attorneys led me to make skewed and unwise selections based mostly alone reasoning.”
Queen mentioned he misplaced about 40 kilos through the ordeal and admitted to dropping himself.
“Your Honor, I misplaced slightly little bit of myself. I did one thing fairly out of character for me — I lied to 2 colleagues to make myself extra credible by claiming I had made notes that I had not written. I’m shocked by that habits as a result of it’s merely not who I’m or how I’ve lived my life and ministry,” he wrote.
The previous professor mentioned after he lied to federal authorities, he made plans to take his life.
“That I lied to authorities brokers when questioned in regards to the date that I had written the word shocked me again to actuality. I apologized and requested for forgiveness. I testified within the grand jury. After testifying, the federal government investigators interviewed me in a fashion that frightened and traumatized me,” he wrote.
“As I traveled residence, I made a plan to commit suicide. After my spouse realized my intent, she took me to a neighborhood hospital. Even typing these phrases arouses emotions inside me of shame, humiliation, and disbelief. Your Honor, I deeply and sincerely remorse my conduct,” Queen added.
Queen mentioned that he has “repented of [his] sin earlier than God” and “made it proper with the federal government by correcting my false assertion to them.”
“I’ll without end reside with the information that I lied, an motion opposite to my religion, my character, and my morals,” Queen advised Kaplan in his letter.
“I’m day by day reminded that my lie has disenchanted my God, my spouse, my daughters, my mother and father, my brothers, my church, my mates, and my college students. I totally perceive the duty I’ve to respect each legislation and judicial brokers. I decide to you, your Honor, to use the teachings I’ve realized from my mistake for the rest of my life and ministry.”
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