St. Thomas Fifth Avenue: Additional people come forward with allegations of misconduct

As we continue our coverage of the meltdown at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, Anglican Watch has confirmed that additional victims of alleged sexual misconduct have come forward. The Episcopal Diocese of New York knows of the victims.

There are three troubling issues involving this development:

1. We have seen no evidence that the Diocese has undertaken the professional pastoral care assessment required under the Title IV clergy disciplinary canons in all cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct.
2. The diocese is not providing a pastoral response, which is not the same as a pastoral case but may include the latter. Per the canons, a pastoral response is supposed to be one of the highest priorities at all phases of a Title IV case, including during investigation.
3. The Diocese’s investigation continues to appear to be an effort to obtain information that may be used to discredit the complainants. That, versus a Title IV investigation, which supports the goals of Title IV of accountability, repentance, healing, and more.

Anglican Watch knows of one additional person with similar allegations who has chosen not to contact the Diocese with his claims, and there is evidence that additional victims exist.

We reiterate our unwavering opposition to the Diocesan efforts to investigate under the guise of Title IV for litigation purposes.

Moreover, we categorically reject efforts by the Diocese to prevent victims from telling their story under fabricated requirements of confidentiality for laity in the Title IV process.

Such behavior is inherently abusive and unacceptable, and we intend to hold the Diocese and all Diocesan staff involved in this debacle accountable for their knowing mishandling of the matter. Their stories belong to them alone, and only they can decide if, when and how to tell those stories.

Further, the Diocese’s efforts to prevent other victims from coming forward by attacking the original complainant, accusing him in writing of being a “terrorist,’ and attempting to bar him from all churches in the Diocese, are inherently unethical.

And every parish in the Diocese has received an email from Bishop Matthew Heyd trying to ban the complainant, so at this point, the entire Diocese is aware of Heyd’s efforts at witness tampering.

Indeed, eight months into its de facto excommunication of the original complainant, the Episcopal Diocese of New York has made no effort for him to receive communion or any pastoral response.

So much for loving, liberating, and life-giving.