wfn.org | Sex Abuse Verdict "Frightening"

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (249
notes).

Note 246 by UMNS on July 30, 1997 at 15:52 Eastern (4620 characters).

Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
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CONTACT:  Joretta Purdue                       434(10-21-71B){246}
          Washington, D.C.  (202) 546-8722           July 30, 1997

United Methodist agency attorney
terms $119 million verdict "frightening"

                 by United Methodist News Service

     An attorney who works with the United Methodist Church's
financial and administrative agency has expressed alarm at the
$119 million verdict against a Roman Catholic diocese in a Texas
sexual abuse case.
     "United Methodist lay and clergy leaders at the local church
and annual conference levels need to take notice of this very
frightening verdict," said Mary Logan, general counsel to the
General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA). 
     The $119 million was awarded to 10 former altar boys and the
parents of another who committed suicide. A jury of 10 women and
two men had found the Roman Catholic diocese of Dallas guilty of
gross negligence, malice, conspiracy and fraud in failing to stop
a priest from sexually abusing the children over an 11-year
period.
     "It should send a chill down all of our spines because I
don't know of a single local church, annual conference or group of
church entities that could pay for this kind of a jury verdict,"
Logan said.
     The amount is believed to be the largest judgement against a
church in a sexual abuse case.
     "There is no amount of insurance sufficient to pay a verdict
of this magnitude." 
     She said the real issue in this case is, according to the
jury's decision, that the diocese knew or suspected what was going
on over an extended period and failed to do anything about it.
     The victims, who were as young as 9 when the abuse began, now
range in age from 18 to the early 30s. Each was awarded damages of
from $7.4 million to $13.2 million. The parents of Jay Lemberger,
who committed suicide in 1992 at the age of 20, were awarded $20.2
million.
     In preventing or combatting sexual misconduct or abuse, Logan
said all church entities need to have a written policy that
addresses lay and clergy misconduct.
     GCFA and the Commission on Status and Role of Women (COSROW)
have worked together to establish some guidelines and sample
policies that are available from either agency at 1200 Davis St.,
Evanston, IL 60201.
     Said Stephanie Anna Hixon, a member of the COSROW general
secretariat, "Policies need to be in place in virtually every
ministry context."
     She explained that ministry may be provided by different
people in a variety of contexts. They include not only the
ordained clergy, but lay staff, Sunday school teachers, camp
counselors, parish nurses or parish visitors, and others, whether
paid or volunteer. 
     She emphasized that a policy should be broad enough to cover
all ministries of an organization or specific policies should be
created for each ministry.
     "It's our ethical standard," she said, adding that such
policies indicate what behavior is tolerated and what is not. And,
they are "preparation for handling inappropriate behavior."
     She also said that sexual abuse and harassment policies are
"one part of an overall response that I believe the church is
called to carry out in response to these issues."
     Logan stressed that policies must be monitored and enforced.
     She also said she wants to see ongoing education at all
levels of the church because leadership, especially among the
laity, changes. People need to know what constitutes misconduct
and harassment and what to do about it when it happens, she said.
     "Pastors and lay people need to understand that the United
Methodist Church will not tolerate this kind of behavior," Logan
declared.
     Both women cited resolutions passed by General Conference --
the church's highest legislative body. One, passed in 1996, says:
"Sexual abuse within the ministerial relationship occurs when a
person within a ministerial role of leadership (pastor, educator,
counselor, youth leader or other position of leadership) engages
in sexual contact or sexualized behavior with a congregant,
client, employee, student, staff member, coworker or volunteer."
     The resolution goes on to explain that such activity is an
"exploitation of power."
     Logan recommended having a written policy, monitoring and
enforcing it, educating clergy and laypeople, and coming to a full
realization of the church's policy.
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