[**Warning: Graphic Language used**]
“For the rest of the story on southeasterngeorgiatoday…I can help with that. Secrecy is evil’s friend and it is time to shine the light…” A statement by the source mentioned below in their initial email to P&P
In the wake of the firing of CB Scott and the “resignation” of Ergun Caner from Brewton-Parker College, an individual from Mt. Vernon, GA has reached out to the Pulpit & Pen to share details about the situation at Brewton-Parker College both via email and phone. This person fears for his/her livelihood and has asked not to be identified by name. The Pulpit & Pen has agreed not to identify this person, by name, against this person’s wishes. This individual is comfortable being referred to as “a resident of Mt. Vernon and a person familiar with the situation at Brewton-Parker”. According to this individual, he/she is just telling the Pulpit and Pen what “everybody already knows” down in Mt. Vernon. This person claims that letters have been sent out to college trustees and employees about the details of CB Scott situation. Most, but not all, of the statements Pulpit & Pen shares below have been independently verified by other sources. The reader of these statements should take this under consideration. These statements are per the Pulpit & Pen’s source.
- In December, while only work-study students were left on campus before Winter Break, Ergun Caner was talking to his brother, Emir, over a digital platform. Ergun Caner was expressing dissatisfaction with the dismissal of a coach, by Athletic Director Greg Mullins. Ergun did not want the responsibility of supervising the athletic director directly and asked his brother Emir, President of Truett-McConnell College, who supervised his athletic director. Emir told Ergun that his Institutional Advancement Officer did so. Caner stated that he did not want CB Scott, his Advancement Officer, to supervise the Athletic Director. Caner stated that CB Scott walks around campus “like he’s half-black.” Caner also stated that CB Scott was not adept at raising money for the school. Two students overheard Caner, one of whom is of diverse ancestry, and reported the offensive statements to CB Scott. Both students have since left Brewton-Parker.
- Caner was upset the condition of the school’s grounds on a recent occasion. He expressed to an employee in the maintenance department that the trustees did not tell him how bad the situation with the grounds was before he came to work at Brewton-Parker. Caner told the employee that the trustees n*gger-d*cked” him by not telling them how bad of shape the school was in. The employee, taken aback, asked Caner to repeat himself. Caner then stated that the trustees have “n*gger-f***ed” him. The employee was offended and related the incident to CB Scott.
- Scott went to trustees with the concerns of the students and the employee. Scott was told by Ergun Caner, who came to his house, to make the concerns go away. Scott refused and told the trustees and said “it was him or Ergun” and that he could no longer work with Ergun. Scott was fired.
- A committee was formed to investigate Caner’s racially offensive remarks. The committee consisted of trustee Gary Campbell, Michael Pigg, and Scott Rudd.
- After Scott’s firing, Gary Campbell, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (and current interim President) approached CB Scott with a nondisclosure agreement. He offered for Brewton-Parker to pay Scott’s salary through the end of the year and pay for his health insurance, which would greatly benefit his children and his wife who has serious health concerns. Campbell told Scott, “think about your wife” when considering the offer to sign the nondisclosure agreement and take the pay-off. Scott refused.
- The nondisclosure agreement stipulated that if any employees were fired and challenged the university (presumably the employee who reported Caner’s racial remarks), that Scott had to testify on Caner’s behalf in court. The agreement was approximately four pages long.
- In the past, Caner told a food services employee that school café decorations “looked like a Mexican trailer park.” This caused a female food services employee with a Hispanic loved-one to cry.
- Board chairman, Gary Campbell, is a Deacon at Pastor Bucky Kennedy’s church. Bucky Kennedy held that position previously.
- After an investigation into Caner’s racial comments, he was forced to resign. The story about “family problems” (although no doubt present) is, in some way, a cover-up for the official reason of Caner’s resignation; Caner was asked to resign.
- Caner is still living on campus and driving a “company car.” CB Scott is barred from campus.
- There are approximately 250 students at the school. There were an approximate 400 when Caner first came.
- All students are forced to sit in the front of the chapel, back rows are roped off, to make the chapel appear full in pictures.
- The steeple fell off an older, smaller chapel on campus.
There are further allegations of which the Pulpit & Pen is aware that are not mentioned above. The Pulpit & Pen is waiting to confirm these allegations from more sources before sharing them. The Pulpit & Pen’s source expressed disdain for the unchristian way that CB Scott was treated. The source stated the importance of the college’s continuing operations for the local economy but stated that the college is better to go out of business than operate the way that it does. The source seemed heartfelt and concerned. Again, the Pulpit and Pen has not independently corroborated all of the statements above.
*Please note that the preceding is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which any Pulpit and Pen contributor is employed, any church at which they are members, any church which they attend, or any educational institution at which they are enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.
If any of the information herein is inaccurate, we would ask for the school’s VP of Communication, Peter Lumpkins, to contact us directly with a statement in regard to the specific error and we will amend accordingly.
