(RNS) — Three years ago, James McDowell, a former principal at the Hillcrest School in Jos, Nigeria, used a post in a Facebook group for the school’s alumni to confess to molesting two students. That led to more allegations of abuse and calls from former students at Hillcrest for an independent investigation.
On Sunday (Dec. 1), an alumni group representing survivors announced that eight Christian organizations have agreed to help fund an investigation into the allegations. Founded in 1942 by Church of the Brethren missionaries, Hillcrest educated both the children of missionaries, Nigerian students, and international students with the help of other denominations.
The Hillcrest alumni group has identified about 50 cases of alleged sexual abuse at the school.
The former students negotiated with 15 different faith groups that sent missionaries and students to Hillcrest over the years, coming to agreement with funders from the North American Baptist Conference; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Pioneers UK; the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church; SIM Nigeria; and the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, as well as Resonate Global Mission, a Christian Reform Church missions group, and the Church of the Brethren.
Hillcrest leaders have also agreed to cooperate with and help fund the investigation.
Nigeria, red, located in West Africa. (Image courtesy Wikimedia/Creative Commons)
“It’s been a very long, tough road but now, we have real hope that the horrors so many of us endured will be brought to the surface,” said Letta Cartlidge, president of the Hillcres …