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A.
Introduction
On
Monday, August 4, 2003 the Bishop, the President of the Standing Committee
and the Bishop-elect of the Diocese of New Hampshire asked the Presiding
Bishop to investigate two matters concerning the Bishop-elect which
had come to light Sunday evening. The Presiding Bishop asked me to
conduct the investigation, the focus of which was to determine if
either or both of the concerns raised constitute cause for further
investigation and thus sufficient reason to postpone the process
of seeking consents to the election of the Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ and our Canons require us to hold each
other accountable for our character and behavior. The Episcopal Church
has clear policies in place to guide our response in such instances.
These policies ensure that truth can be pursued and respect and care
can be shown for all parties involved.
B. First Concern
Late
Sunday evening, August 3, 2003, an adult member of a Vermont Episcopal
congregation sent an E-mail to the Rt. Rev. Thomas C. Ely, Bishop of
Vermont. The E-mail stated that "I am a straight man
reporting homosexual harassment by a gay male priest from another Diocese." Bishop
Ely contacted the individual that evening, and the following morning
to inquire further about the concern being raised and to assure the
individual that the Church takes such concerns seriously. The individual
then indicated to Bishop Ely that he had sent the E-mail to many bishops.
Bishop Ely then informed the Bishop of
New Hampshire and the Presiding Bishop of the concern being raised.
On Monday afternoon I spoke by speaker phone with the individual
in the presence of Bishop Ely, his Chancellor, Thomas Little, and
the Rev. Hays Junkin, President of the Standing Committee of the Diocese
of New Hampshire. I asked the individual to tell the story of his experience
that caused him to raise his concerns. According to the individual, the
events took place at a Province I convocation in November of 1999, at
Mont Marie Conference Center in Holyoke, Massachusetts. There were two
exchanges between the individual and Canon Robinson at the convocation.
In the first, the individual was seated at the beginning of a plenary
session. As Canon Robinson was passing by him, the individual asked Canon
Robinson a question about the order of events or the schedule or convocation
procedure, or something of that nature. Canon Robinson put his left hand
on the individual's arm, and his right hand on the
individual's upper back as he listened to his questions and answered
them. This incident was in public view and was brief. The individual
said Canon Robinson answered his questions and spoke no inappropriate words.
The second incident occurred later in the convocation, while
the
two were standing in proximity. During a light moment in the convocation,
the individual turned to Canon Robinson to make a comment. In response,
Canon Robinson touched the individual's forearm and back while responding
with his own comment. The individual then described to me the feelings
he had during these two exchanges. He said that in his opinion, Canon
Robinson's placement of his hands seemed inappropriate to him, given
that they did not know each other, and presumed a far greater familiarity
or intimacy than
was the case. The individual said these incidents made him feel
uncomfortable. He said he has never said anything to anyone about this,
but did mention it to his wife but not at the time. He acknowledged that
other people could have seen the exchange as natural and normal. He said
he had not thought that the House of Deputies was going to consent to
Canon Robinson's election, and when he learned consent had been given,
he found himself late Sunday night needing to tell someone of his experience.
He observed that when he wrote the E-mail, he was feeling upset, in part
because he expected his concern to be brushed under the rug. He thought
the Church would close ranks and not listen to him. I asked him whether
he wanted to bring a formal charge of harassment. He said very clearly,
no. He regretted having used the word "
harassment" in his E-mail. The Title IV disciplinary process for
priests was then explained to the individual, and I asked him again if
he wished to proceed to file a written complaint. Again, he indicated
that he had no desire to pursue the matter any further. He said he was
thankful the Church has taken this seriously, and that he felt "listened
to." He also indicated
that he was not seeking any personal attention or notoriety, and
regrets that it has been taken this way by some. Bishop Ely knows the
individual and is maintaining ongoing pastoral contact with him and his
family, both personally and through their parish
priest.
C. Second Concern
The
second focus of my investigation involved concerns about a pornographic
web site. Two bishops brought the website to the attention of the parliamentarian
of the House of Deputies who reviewed the material and contacted the
Chancellor to the Presiding Bishop on Sunday evening.
The concern expressed has been the involvement or lack of
involvement of Canon Robinson with the website. The website
in question could be reached through a link from the Concord, New Hampshire
Chapter of an organization known as Outright. Canon Robinson has referred
to his involvement with this organization in his resume,
which is on the Diocese of New Hampshire website. He has also referred
to
his involvement with that organization in hearings during
this Convention as an example of his work with youth. In my investigation
I have consulted with Canon Robinson and I have reviewed the website
of Concord Outright. At the formal request of an American Anglican Council
representative who this morning
provided the
Presiding Bishop with a disk prepared on August 2nd, I have
reviewed a down stream link site which showed graphic sexual
materials. I have also had communications from Outright in Portland,
Maine where the web site is based, and from representatives of Outright
in Concord
and I have carefully reviewed them.
What appears to be beyond dispute is that Canon Robinson
helped to found Concord Outright in 1995. Investigation shows
that the organization was founded to provide support and counseling for
young people concerned about their sexuality. Canon Robinson's role in
the Concord Chapter of Outright was primarily to provide training to
insure that appropriate boundaries were observed for the protection of
both young
people and those working with them. Canon Robinson ended
his involvement in Outright in 1998 and has not been associated with
Outright since that time. The web site was established in 2002. Canon
Robinson was not aware that the
organization has a website until this Convention. The response
of Outright emphasized to me that Canon Robinson has had no part in the
creation of the website. I see no evidence that Canon Robinson
was aware of or associated with the website or its contents.
D. Conclusion
In
both allegations, it is my conclusion that there is no necessity to
pursue further investigation and no reason on these grounds to prevent
the Bishops with jurisdiction from going forward with their
voting about whether or not to consent to Canon Robinson's
Consecration. The Standing Committee of the Diocese of New Hampshire
concurs in these conclusions and continues to seek the
required consents.
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