BJU is no ordinary Christian school. It is the flagship university of American fundamentalism (some in the BJU community prefer “fortress”). Its influence extends far beyond its student body, which is estimated to be about 3,000 undergraduates. It has numerous feeder schools in pockets across the country, runs its own K-12 school in Greenville and is one of the largest publishers of Christian textbooks in the America. The university’s presidents have been philosophical leaders of the fundamentalist movement, and its graduates go on to lead thousands of churches, colleges and seminaries across America.
“I can tell you within 10 minutes of being in a church whether or not there’s been a Bob Jones influence,” says Leah Gore, who graduated BJU in 2000.
But in one way, BJU is just like many of its Christian and secular siblings across the country: it has a sexual assault problem.