Sources within Opus Dei tell Anglican Watch that the Episcopal Diocese of New York (DioNY) is continuing its efforts to use Title IV to conceal its efforts to investigate, harass, intimidate, and oppress the victim in the sexual harassment case at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue.
Specifically, we have learned that diocesan investigators have contacted persons within Opus Dei in an effort to dig up dirt on the victim in the run-up to possible litigation against the parish.
Anglican Watch has harshly criticized the Diocese for misusing Title IV in this manner. Any investigation occurring as part of a Title IV clergy disciplinary complaint may be used only to resolve the underlying complaint and is, per the canons, confidential.
Yet in this case, the Diocese of New York is using its purported Title IV investigation to obtain information that it hopes will impeach the victim in civil litigation — even as it hopes its behavior will intimidate and oppress the victim.
In that regard, the Diocese is behaving like the Roman Church used to when allegations of misconduct came up: avoid, deny, equivocate, blame the victim, claim they are looking for money, investigate the victim, litigate, and more.
To make matters worse, we have directly notified Bishops Heyd and Shin, as well as the Diocesan chancellors, about our concerns. Thus, the fact that this misconduct is continuing makes it clear that, at every level, judicatories within the Diocese support this misconduct.
No matter how this case turns out, we believe it underscores a key point: neither DioNY nor St. Thomas’ is a safe place. This, combined with the free-wheeling, any-goes approach at the St. Thomas Choir School, including welcoming two persons accused of sexual assault, makes clear that parents should NOT, under any circumstances, send their children to the choir school.
After all, if an adult male is not safe against sexual assault, a child certainly isn’t.
Other developments
We’ll have more to say about this soon, but Anglican Watch earlier today filed a Title IV clergy disciplinary complaint against Alison Quin, the DioNY intake officer. While we recognize that no human endeavour is perfect, this situation is such a mess that we can only conclude that it is intentional. And as the Title IV intake officer and one of three members of the Reference Panel, Quinn bears a heavy responsibility for this debacle. And as a former attorney, she should well understand the importance of following church canons, which form the basis of the church’s internal legal system.
We also hope that we will soon see the resignation of the St. Thomas rector, Canon Carl Turner. Should the choir school close, which appears increasingly likely, we anticipate his departure will soon follow. In fact, that’s appropriate, given that Turner won’t even protect the identity of a victim of sexual assault.
Relatedly, there is ample evidence that Matthew Moretz has not only ignored multiple complaints of sexual misconduct, but he appears to have repeatedly engaged in retaliation. Additionally, he can’t even be bothered to conduct background checks on church employees, as evinced by the two convicted felons whom we found to be working at the church. In other words, we believe he’s incompetent and unethical, and he needs to go, and go soon.
Same for the Rev. Mark Schultz and husband, Erich Erickson, both of whom have engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct. In Erickson’s case, we have to wonder how any adult could think his production of pornography on church premises is appropriate.
Stay tuned.
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