If we had predicted six months ago that the Bob Jones University (BJU) Chairman of the Board (John Lewis), President (Steve Pettit) & Chief of Staff (Randy Page) would all be gone today … you would have said we were crazy.

Well guess what … they are all gone today … but is the reckoning over?

Story Background:

We all recall the great debate about Ellen Weaver’s “master’s degree”. It all started with an obscure requirement passed into law and approved by voters in 2018 that requires the SC Superintendent of Education to possess a master’s degree.

“Per the South Carolina State House, a superintendent of education must hold a master’s degree and have experience in public education. In turn, Weaver enrolled in Bob Jones University (BJU) and is said to have completed 33 hours of coursework in six months’ time.” – WIS News (10/17/2022) [Continue Reading]

Filing for the statewide SC Superintendent of Education office was in March 2022. Weaver was the hands down leading candidate with the most (special interest) money backing her … as well as virtually the entire Republican “establishment” and SCGOP leadership, namely SCGOP Chairman Drew McKissick, which raised questions as to his personal and the SCGOP’s impartiality in the race.

However in April of 2022, it was discovered that several candidates did not have the necessary educational requirements … Ellen Weaver being chief among them. It was then disclosed that Chairman McKissick had certified Weaver as a candidate even though she was not qualified to hold the office at the time.

After discover Weaver did not qualify, Weaver first enrolled in an online master’s degree program at Western Governor’s University. That apparently was not going to work out in time … or the WGU administration was not willing to risk their school’s accreditation for Weaver’s timeline … so she quickly enrolled in a master’s degree program at her alma mater, the very politically active Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC.

The only problem … the degree was (and still is) advertised as a 2-year program. Weaver did not have two years, so “special” treatment was needed, and somehow she obtained the 33 credit hour degree in less than six months.

All along the way there were calls of outrage, but Weaver and the establishment party leaders were not budging. They needed Weaver to win and nothing, including risking the accreditation of BJU, the potential for Weaver being disqualified and a Democrat being installed to that office, nor the risk of BJU leadership losing their jobs was going to stop them.

Ultimately on November 8th, 2022, Weaver defeated her Democrat opponent Lisa Ellis, 55% to 43% in the statewide election.

Post Election Timeline:

However, the election win is not the end of the story.

In December 2022 it was reported that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) had asked BJU to submit a monitoring report after they received complaints about new state superintendent Ellen Weaver’s six-month master’s degree. (The Greenville News – December 12, 2022)

“Both letters, sent [to] the State and Federal Attorney General’s Office, cite a conspiracy to commit fraud [by] Ellen Weaver, Bob Jones University and the State’s Republican Party.” – WIS News (01/14/2023) [CONTINUE READING]

On January 11th, 2023, the SC Democratic Party Chairman Trav Roberston, Jr. sent letters to US Attorney General Merrick Garland and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson asking them to investigate the circumstances surrounding the candidate certification of Ellen Weaver. The letters accused Ellen Weaver, the SCGOP, Bob Jones University & the SACSCOC of conspiracy to commit fraud and circumvent SC Election Law. It is a pretty powerful statement. (HERE.)

“… these organizations conspired to commit fraud and circumvent South Carolina law.” 1/11/2023 Letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland

On January 19th, BJU President Steve Pettit signed a 3-year extension on his contract. It appeared to most that there were going to be no ramifications for the Ellen Weaver “master’s degree” debacle. (The Post & Courier Greenville – January 19, 2023)

Despite the 3-year contract extension, on March 30th Pettit submitted a letter to the BJU Board of Trustees citing grievances with the leadership of then-board Chairman John Lewis. In the letter, Pettit said he would resign if Lewis remained chair. (The Post & Courier Greenville – April 21, 2023)

On April 6th, Lewis resigned, leaving an open question of whether that move changed Pettit’s status. The resignation (strangely enough) did not change the embattled President’s status, raising questions as to whether the professed grievances were the real reason for both resignations. Pettit left the school effective May 5th.

Later in April, BJU Chief of Staff and SCGOP “Republican” political operative Randy Page left the University for a position as the state director of the pro-Ron DeSantis Never Back Down PAC. (The Post & Courier – April 25, 2023)

Ask yourself, who leaves a job as a university Chief of Staff for a temporary and often revolving door PAC position. … even as a state director? The SC Republican Presidential Preference Primary will be held on February 24, 2024 … so what will Randy do after this job is over? This move raised further questions as to the real reason for Page’s resignation given he is widely believed to be the mastermind behind the Weaver BJU “master’s degree” arrangement.

“Page … told the Greenville News that one could apply for a fast-track course in consultation with the faculty program coordinator.”

“Page … University President Steve Pettit and professors in leadership positions donated to Weaver’s campaign.”

The Greenville News (12/12/2022) [CONTINUE READING]

Connecting the Dots:

Although the mainstream media is not reporting it yet … the rumor mill in Greenville is that the BJU departures are more related to the Ellen Weaver’s BJU “master’s degree” issue than any personnel differences or temporary political opportunities.

Time will tell … but if you were BJU leadership would you want to announce publicly that these leadership departures were part of a potential crime or an agreed to punishment for the political favoritism shown Weaver? We wouldn’t.

Stay tuned for more developments …