Johnny Hunt’s last defamation claims rejected by federal judge

(RNS) — A federal judge dismissed the final claims of a defamation lawsuit filed by former Southern Baptist President Johnny Hunt, who claimed his career was ruined after his sexual misconduct became public in 2022.

Hunt, who had been a megachurch pastor in Georgia and a vice president with the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board — as well as a popular author and speaker — was named in the 2022 Guidepost Solutions report on how Southern Baptist leaders had dealt with issues of abuse.

According to that report, Hunt allegedly assaulted another pastor’s wife, then hid his misconduct from church members and his employer for years. Hunt said he had sinned but denied it was abuse.

RELATED: Is a pastor’s sin a private matter? Johnny Hunt lawsuit makes that claim.

He sued Guidepost and the Southern Baptist Convention in 2023, arguing his misconduct was a private matter and disclosing it cost him millions. He sought tens of millions in damages.

Most of the suit was dismissed last year. But one count remained, as Hunt’s lawyers alleged Bart Barber, another former SBC president, had defamed him in a post on what was then known as Twitter.

The trial on…