Nashville | A U.S. district court has once again sided with the Southern Baptist Convention and other defendants in a suit brought by former SBC President Johnny Hunt. Chief District Judge William L. Campbell Jr., of the Middle District of Tennessee issued today (August 12) a final summary judgment on the only remaining claim in the case.
Hunt filed the suit against the SBC, its Executive Committee and Guidepost Solutions in March 2023, claiming defamation after he was named in a 2022 report from Guidepost that was based on an investigation into alleged mishandling of sexual abuse claims by the SBC EC.
Baptist Press reached out to Hunt’s attorneys for comment but had not received anything as of press time.
Campbell had dismissed all other claims in the suit on March 31, 2025. The lone remaining claim regarded a 2022 tweet by then-SBC President Bart Barber that mentioned Hunt, who considered the post defamatory. The court’s determination today hinged on whether Hunt was a public figure and whether the tweet was made with actual malice. Campbell decided Hunt was a public figure “during the relevant time” and that there was no evidence of malice.
“We are grateful for the Court’s decision, which resolves all claims in this case in favor of the SBC and the other defendants and brings the district-court proceedings to an end,” said Jeff Iorg, SBC Executive Committee president.
Although the initial filing was not specific on the amount in damages sought, Hunt amended that amount to “not less than” $15.4 million in July 2024, plus up to $45 million for “reputational harm” and another $45 million for emotional distress.