No Halo News · Sourced development
Federal judge dismissed lawsuit against Pawleys Island Community Church for lack of jurisdiction without deciding plaintiffs' allegations
WMBF reported that a federal judge dismissed without prejudice a proposed class action in which parents alleged that Pawleys Island Community Church and its former school allowed a convicted, registered sex offender to volunteer around children. The judge ruled that the complaint did not adequately establish the amount required for federal class-action jurisdiction. The ruling did not decide whether the alleged conduct occurred, and six related state lawsuits reportedly remain pending.
Status matters. This page records a sourced development, not a completed No Halo investigation. An allegation is not a finding. Dismissals, settlements, judgments, corrections and final outcomes remain distinct.
Donor relevance
Why this matters
The dismissal changes the procedural status of the federal case but is not an exoneration. Donors should distinguish a jurisdictional dismissal from a ruling on child-safety allegations and should note that related litigation remains unresolved.
Attribution
Who reported or established this
The allegations were made by parent plaintiffs and reported by WMBF. U.S. District Judge Richard Mark Gergel issued the jurisdictional dismissal.
Evidence limits
What remains unverified
No Halo has not established the truth of the underlying allegations, the merits or eventual outcomes of the related state lawsuits, or the results of associated criminal proceedings.
Right of reply
Organization response
According to WMBF, the church denies wrongdoing. In related state cases, it has sought dismissal based in part on religious-freedom protections, charitable-immunity law and alleged deficiencies in the plaintiffs' pleadings.
Classification
How No Halo records this event
Event type: Dismissal. Current state: Dismissed. No Halo preserves the current procedural state rather than treating every mention as a finding.
Published October 19, 2026 · Last verified October 20, 2026. See an error or a later outcome? Submit a correction or right of reply.