The Gulf States Conference is committed to the safety of all children in our schools and churches. Recent allegations of a former academy employee’s behavior have us heartbroken. We affirm the actions of our sister conference in terminating his employment and reporting to their local law enforcement authorities for investigation.
We are committed to continued enforcement of policies that protect the vulnerable and to reporting any violation to the proper authorities. We do not tolerate abusive behavior and will work tirelessly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all of our children.
The following letter is from Mr. Scott Bowes, our current Superintendent of Education and the former Principal of Bass Academy. Please see his letter for more information:
November 11, 2021
Dear Parents and BMA Alumni,
I have been heartbroken this week when I learned of the news regarding David Perkins. Criminal charges have been filed against Mr. Perkins and while the offenses have yet to be proven in a court of law, the accusations are disturbing as they involve misconduct with a minor. Mr. Perkins is a former faculty member at Bass Memorial Academy (BMA).
While we have no information or accusations concerning Mr. Perkins’ conduct while he served at BMA, the present accusations are deeply concerning. We understand that the conference where he worked acted quickly and terminated Mr. Perkins after becoming aware of the pending allegations. The matter is now with the authorities to determine what happened and whether Mr. Perkins is guilty of the charges.
I wish to remind each member of our community that speculation and gossip about this matter can deeply hurt the reputation and privacy of all concerned. It has no place in this school community.
This is also a perfect time to remember and exhibit our compassion for each other. Accordingly, if there are members of the BMA community who have information about misconduct—involving anyone at any time—please share that information with someone on campus you can trust, advise me of any misconduct, or report the incident to Project Safe Church at www.projectsafechurch.org.
We cannot and will not tolerate abusive behavior at BMA. It has no place in our schools, on our boarding academy campuses, or in our churches. We must work tirelessly to ensure the well-being and safety of our students so that they can grow spiritually and academically in a safe environment throughout the Gulf States Conference. This is something that the entire Gulf States Conference Administration and I are committed and dedicated to.
Sincerely,
Scott Bowes
Superintendent of Education
Gulf States Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Former Principal of Bass Memorial Academy (2015-2021)
(334) 272-7493 x106
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