Bob Thune makes false slander claim
Last night, TCA Board President Bob Thune posted on his personal Facebook account that someone was slandering him. A well-intentioned friend of mine sent me a concerned text about it, and I was so thankful to know that his post was most definitely not about me. What many people do not realize is that the elements of slander include making defamatory statements that one knows are untrue. Everything I have posted is true to the best of my knowledge, and I have even provided the documentation to round out our story. So you see, his post can absolutely not be about me. (Lawyer friends: Can falsely accusing some of slander be slander/libel? Leave me your thoughts in the comments please!)
Not only is slander punishable legally here in the US, but committing such an action would also would fail to bring about our ultimate goal in telling our story, which is repentance and reconciliation. The day I posted our story, we received a message from our pastor that Bob was wanting to pursue mediation with us. I wholeheartedly agreed to this step with these boundaries in place: 1) Bob would have to apologize for what happened, 2) he and the other board members would resign (see here for more on this), and 3) the mediation talks would be open to all families and staff of TCA since we believe they were sinned against, too. No reply to this offer has been received.
To all my friends who have been abused in any way (including emotional and spiritual): Secrets maintain their power as long as they stay in the dark, and abusive systems require darkness in order to thrive. Tell your story bravely, tell it with your whole heart, and tell it to people who deserve to hear it (see link in recommended resources). You will be shocked, I mean shocked, when you discover how many others have similar experiences.
Blessings to all of you in your healing journeys!
TCA Board Members
Bob Thune, Founding Board Member
Pastor at Coram Deo Church
Spencer Finley, Treasurer
CFO of Boy Scouts of America, Mid-America Council
Phil Belin, Founding Board Member
Attorney
Cannon Allen, Board Member
Anna Little, Founding Board Member
John Batcher, Board Member
Sara Breetzke, Head of School
