By Mackenzie Grizzard | Assistant News Editor
Baylor announced Thursday that Dr. Jon Singletary, dean of the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, will step down effective October 15. According to Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Singletary plans to return to the faculty to “focus on interdisciplinary research.”
“As many of you are aware, these are incredibly difficult times for professionals in the field of social work, and Jon felt the need to step away to take better care of himself, as well to dedicate more time to his family,” Brickhouse said in a press release.
Dr. Luci Ramos Hoppe, clinical associate professor and the undergraduate social work program director, will step in as interim dean, according to the press release.
Singletary and the school of social work have been under fire since early July, after Baylor voluntarily rescinded a research grant with a focus on inclusion and belonging in church spaces — primarily for LGBTQ+ individuals. At this time, there’s no confirmation that his resignation was connected to the grant.
According to President Linda Livingstone, when the news broke in early July, neither she nor Brickhouse were aware of it.
“We really didn’t have any particular concerns about the research itself, but the way the research was going to be used was to influence churches, to change their stance on what they thought about the LGBTQ+ community within their church, and move them from wherever they were to a more affirming stance,” Livingstone said.
Livingstone said the grant was “inconsistent” with Baylor’s stance on human sexuality, and doesn’t believe it’s Baylor’s “responsibility to tell churches where they should stand.”
“If the research had just been used to help churches understand how to support and care for the LGBTQ+ community in their church given whatever they believe about that from a theological perspective, that would of been something we could have been supportive of,” Livingstone said. “But that was not the way the grant or the announcement about the grant was framed.”
Despite the controversial reversal following community backlash, Livingstone affirmed Baylor’s mission of care and belonging.
“We want every student on our campus to feel cared for, to feel seen and heard on our campus, and feel like they’re getting the support they need to be successful as a student on our campus,” Livingstone said. “I know that because of the nature of the grant, that might raise concern for some folks, and I certainly want to emphasize that.”
