For those of us who are survivors of John MacArthur's The Master's University and Seminary, now is the time to act! Master's has been placed on accreditation probation by WASC. (See documents listed under Commission Actions: wscuc.org/institutions/masters-university-and-seminary ). This is a tremendous blow to the credibility of the school and John MacArthur. The school has been cited for shady financial dealings (some involving MacArthur's son in law), a culture of fear and intimidation, questionable academic practices, an ineffective board full of MacArthur's yes men, and other issues.

Those of us who were students saw that culture of fear and intimidation through the bullying tactics encouraged and commanded by the Student Life Department and enforced by SLS. Were you constantly confronted for your perceived sins, for the "appearance of evil"? Were you put under the microscope? Did you report sexual harassment, misconduct, or crimes to Student Life and have your case mishandled? Did you report issues of a non-sexual nature and have your case mishandled? Were you branded a liar or "in sin" when you "rebelled" against their authority?

You no longer have to remain silent. You have many avenues to let your voice be heard:

1) WASC is always taking Complaints and Third Party Comments. Fill out the following form and email to wscuc@wscuc.org and thawley@wscuc.org. You can choose to remain ANONYMOUS. You do not have to provide proof. Even if WASC does nothing, your comments will remain in the school's file to be dredged up every time WASC reviews the school. At the very least, it will give future WASC teams an idea of what red flags to watch for.

[www.wscuc.org]

2) If you were harassed by Student Life and SLS, you may have a Clery Act violation, ESPECIALLY if you were harassed regarding sexual issues. This is NOT limited to just mishandled rape and sexual misconduct cases. This includes harassment over sexual orientation (Master's can believe what they want, Master's can expel you, but Master's cannot harass you), gender norms (i.e. girls shouldn't like violent movies and video games, girls shouldn't wear pants, men shouldn't be administrative assistants, etc), sexual health preferences (i.e. tampons, birth control, hormone treatments, etc), and body autonomy (i.e. what toiletries you use, what you eat, when you sleep, what clothes you wear, how you style your hair, choices you make for your body, etc). If you are not sure, contact the U.S. Department of Education. The Philadelphia School Participation Team of the U.S. Department of Education has the primary responsibility for overseeing Clery Act compliance by institutions. If you are interested in pursuing your complaint further, you can contact Jim Moore at 215-656-8542 or clerycomplaints@ed.gov. Complaints can be made ANONYMOUSLY. You do not need to provide proof to start an investigation.

3) If you would like to be part of a potential lawsuit against Master's, contact Owen Patterson Owen. Staycee Gordon is the primary person to contact to tell your story. The firm is looking for victims or witnesses of mishandled rape and sexual abuse cases, cases of harassment by Student Life/SLS and administration, and unlawful termination and hostile work environment for employees, etc. Call 661-799-3399 or email staycee@owenpatterson.com. You do not need proof at this stage. Your story may be all that is required for corroboration. The law firm is only at the information gathering stage. You do not have to make any huge decisions, you are not committing yourself to doing anything by just giving them a call and talking.

4) If you would like to be part of an in-depth news article regarding Master's, contact The Chronicle of Higher Education to contribute your experience and/or any evidence you may have (not required) to Eric Kelderman, senior reporter at 202-466-1017 or Eric.Kelderman@chronicle.com. You may remain ANONYMOUS.


If you saw something, say something. If you were a victim, let your voice be heard. The shame is not on you, but that abusive school! Let our actions speak louder than words, be people OF our word, and not merely speak the words of supporters and advocates, but DO what we can -- report, Report, REPORT. You aren't alone. We can't all be lying. Where there's smoke, there's fire. Let us corroborate and support each other. Now is the time, while the iron is hot.

"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke