ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 24, 2025 /Christian Newswire/ — Anglican Watch, the Episcopal Church’s unofficial watchdog, today sharply criticized the Episcopal Diocese of New York for ignoring the requirements of the church’s Title IV clergy disciplinary canons. The move follows retaliation by the Episcopal Diocese of New York against a male adult who complained to the Diocese about three separate incidents of sexual assault by gay parishioners. Two of the alleged perpetrators were employees of St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue; one remains a priest in good standing.
“The Episcopal Diocese of New York continues to play fast and loose with its handling of allegations of sexual assault, even as it ignores the express provisions of Title IV, the church’s clergy disciplinary canons, and engages in retaliation toward the complainant,” said Anglican Watch official Eric Bonetti.
Problems with the Diocese’s response to the allegations of sexual assault include:
• A defamatory email by Bishop Diocesan Matthew Heyd, accompanied by a photo of the complainant taken from his Facebook page, sent to all parishes in the Diocese, which attempted to bar the complainant from all churches in the Diocese. Under church canons, the bishop diocesan lacks authority to do so.
• A Title IV reference panel that has gone rogue. Specifically, the panel, which only has the authority to decide where to send a Title if complaint for resolution, now falsely claims the authority to make findings of fact. In doing so, the reference panel now “finds” that the one alleged assailant, an Episcopal priest, acted appropriately.
• A refusal to provide a pastoral response to all those injured by the allegations of sexual assault, which should include the complainant, his girlfriend, members of the St. Thomas parish, and others.
• A refusal to conduct the professional pastoral care assessment required by church canons in all cases in which the allegations involve sexual misconduct.
• An insistence that the complainant keep the matter confidential, despite the fact that church canons impose no such requirement on the complainant. That is doubly the case, when as here, the Diocese has de facto excommunicated the complainant.
• A continuing abuse of the Title IV process in an attempt to discredit the complainant in the run-up to pending lawsuits against St. Thomas and the Diocese. Indeed, Anglican Watch has heard from sources in multiple parishes that they have been contacted by the Diocese in an effort to pull in dirt on the complainant.
• Continuing efforts to slow-walk resolution of the underlying Title IV complaint. These include the Diocese’s initial efforts to dismiss the matter out of hand. Now, eight months later, the Diocese claims to be “investigating” the matter, but nothing of substance has happened.
• An inherent conflict of interest between the diocesan bishops and their roles in the Title IV case. To date, Bishop Shin, the suffragan for the Diocese, refuses to recuse himself as required by church canon.
Meanwhile, the rector of St. Thomas’, Carl Turner, is known to have breached confidentiality by identifying the complainant to third parties.
“It would seem common sense that we don’t identify victims of alleged sexual assault,” said Anglican Watch official Eric Bonetti. “Surely Turner does not need Title IV to tell him that.”
Similarly, St. Thomas’ continues to welcome the one alleged assailant and his same-sex husband, a prominent pornographer and poet. Both live on the St. Thomas campus in close proximity to students at the St. Thomas Choir School.
“We demand immediate action and full compliance with the requirements of Title IV,” said Bonetti. “We are tired of the Diocese winging it, making up rules as it goes, and trying to use Title IV as part of its litigation strategy.
“Title IV expressly states that one of the first priorities at all phases of a Title IV case is a pastoral response. But the Diocese has made no effort to provide such a response, instead making hurtful and ugly statements about the complainant,” Bonetti continued.
“Moreover, we have notified the Diocese directly of our concerns, only to be met with silence and inaction. Meanwhile, the Diocese frantically searches for leaks, even as it allows Turner to provide the identity of the complainant to church members.
“This behavior is unacceptable, and we will hold the Diocese and St. Thomas’ accountable,” he concluded.
Founded in 2015, Anglican Watch is the unofficial watchdog of the Episcopal Church. Anglican Watch addresses both sexual and non-sexual abuse in the Episcopal Church and other faith communities.
SOURCE Anglican Watch
CONTACT: Eric Bonetti, 240-380-2567, er**@***********ch.com
What a mess, I’m glad someone is holding these fools accountable!