Recently unearthed documents revealed that William B. Bynum Jr, the 57-year-old former president of Jackson State University, was arrested in a prostitution sting. The pastor was busted after he contacted a police officer on a ‘dark website.’ The Jackson State University community was rocked by the allegations, and many expressed their shock.
Eighteen suspects were arrested in the 2020 operation. At the time, Clinton Police Chief Ford Hayman said, “I wish we hadn’t arrested anyone, but we’re going to do all we can do to ensure that criminal activity is not going to transpire in the city of Clinton.” The embattled university president was charged with solicitation and driving while high. He posted a $3,000 bond.
Police think that the arrest could unravel a multi-state prostitution ring. However, authorities moderated their findings, “We’ve been trained on human trafficking. We have resources. We haven’t uncovered any evidence of a human trafficking operation. It looks to be a prostitution operation.” By and large, the public was shocked by the arrest. Bynum was a father of six and presented himself as a devout family man.
One student, Quiana James, expressed her feelings about the incident. “I see him around campus all the time. I’ve held conversations with him and he just seemed like a nice guy, like a family guy,” she expressed. “I was proud to have him as my president, and so to see this, it’s kind of like, ‘Wow, I’m embarrassed.’” The arrest was especially surprising because of how often William B. Bynum Jr spoke about his faith.
When he took office in 2018, Bynum quoted scripture. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11,” he said. The disgraced administrator would often quote his favorite saying: “Look back and thank God, look forward and trust God, look around and serve God, look within and find God.”
In the same speech, he said, “I fear not. I don’t care about the challenges we’re going to face. I worry very little about the things that we are up against, which are significant burdens, challenges, and hurdles. I fear not,” He added, “As I tell my staff, I can literally see it, y’all. I can literally see it because of the covering of God and knowing that indeed we are going to be just fine.”
Chelsea Bynum-Grant told her father in the ceremony, “Your love for God and your faith continually grow stronger year after year, milestone after milestone.” She went on, “Your love for education and commitment to giving back to the community is admirable. You spent well over 25 years dedicated to showing young people that they are more than capable of stepping out of that bubble and achieving their goals in life and desires.”
Watch His Acceptance Speech here:
Even before this arrest, his tenure as president of Jackson State was controversial. The alumni community opposed his nomination, saying, “The JSU (Interview Search Advisory) Committee unanimously expressed serious concerns about his candidacy.” As president, he was paid $375,000 a year, $150,000 more than his predecessor.
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