From The Living Church:website

Rector: Bishop Suppressing Sexual Misconduct Investigation
09/16/2005

It has been more than three years since an unexpected visitor told the Rev. David Bollinger that a former rector at St. Paul’s Church in Owego, N.Y. “molested” him when the man was 12 years old during an unsupervised overnight trip. Since then Fr. Bollinger says others have come forward with similar complaints. The accused continues to be licensed as a non-parochial member in good standing of the Diocese of Central New York.

On May 31, the diocese served Fr. Bollinger with a 90-day notice of inhibition, charging him with possible criminal misuse of his discretionary fund. The inhibition was extended for another 90 days following a meeting of the standing committee on Sept. 8.

“This has been the summer from hell for me and my family,” Fr. Bollinger said. “My wife and I have borne the brunt of this madness. Every morning we strategize how we are going to get through the day.”

Fr. Bollinger denies misuse of any Church funds. “I have always operated above board and with the full knowledge and agreement of the vestry,” he said. “I have used that fund for much good in this community.”

The vestry at St. Paul’s unanimously agrees and distributed a letter to every congregation in the diocese, every bishop in the Episcopal Church and everyone else who received the notice of inhibition after the standing committee, citing concerns that it might prejudice its proceedings, refused to receive it for their meeting.

Immediately after learning of the sexual misconduct allegation in 2002, Fr. Bollinger reported to the diocese and the parish that an allegation of misconduct had been made against a former rector. Fr. Bollinger said 16 others came forward after the announcement claiming either to have been victimized themselves, propositioned or an eye witness to misconduct. The controversy began to affect attendance at St. Paul’s as supporters and alleged victims traded accusations. According to Fr. Bollinger, it was four months before the bishop, the Rt. Rev. Gladstone “Skip” Adams III, agreed to come to the parish and address the issue. When he did, Fr. Bollinger said, Bishop Adams “denigrated” the victim, claiming the person was never a member of the parish and that “‘people like this are always looking for money’.” Bishop Adams declined to be interviewed for this report.

No Active Investigation
According to Fr. Bollinger, early last November during a meeting with the vestry at St. Paul’s, Bishop Adams said that Fr. Bollinger had been scapegoated and he promised to bring healing to the congregation. Assuming that the alleged victim would finally be able to confront the accused, Fr. Bollinger said he and others from St. Paul’s were dismayed after the co-chair of the Diocesan Pastoral Response Team reported, during the Nov. 19-20 convention, that there were no active misconduct investigations. Immediately after that person completed the presentation, Fr. Bollinger said convention delegates from St. Paul’s and Trinity Church in Binghamton (where the priest had also served) confronted the speaker and demanded to know why their complaints were not being investigated. Bishop Adams intervened, according to Fr. Bollinger and said there was no diocesan investigation because Fr. Bollinger had not cooperated fully.

Later that same month, the diocesan controller obtained access to the Bollingers’ financial accounts at the Church Pension Fund and Fidelity Services without permission, according to a lawyer retained by Fr. Bollinger. In a Jan. 3 letter he wrote to the diocese, the lawyer said he was in possession of documents which indicate that the controller “employed identity theft to enter the account.” The Bollingers only learned they no longer had access to their financial records, according to the lawyer, after the controller boasted about the intrusion during a meeting with the vestry of St. Paul’s. The lawyer asked the diocese to investigate and if necessary apologize to the Bollingers and admonish the controller.

In early January the alleged victim again arrived unannounced at St. Paul’s and for his own protection, Fr. Bollinger said he asked another priest of the diocese and a notary public to witness a sworn affidavit. Someone, Fr. Bollinger denies it was him, circulated the document among the clergy.

Public Relations Consultant
Bishop Adams hired a public relations consultant from Eric Mower and Associates. A Jan. 12 memo to Bishop Adams from the consultant and other senior diocesan staff recommended an expression of “righteous indignation” that included discipline of Fr. Bollinger. “We believe it is absolutely critical that we keep a separation between the emergence of an alleged victim and David’s actions regarding [the controller], the memo states. “While a pastoral response to the alleged victim and the congregation is clearly in order, that has nothing to do with David. The actions against [the controller] and his subsequent communication with members of your college of clergy have everything to do with David.”

The diocese did undertake an investigation into the accusations made by Fr. Bollinger’s lawyer in the Jan. 3 letter. Bishop Adams has quoted from the ensuing report, according to Fr. Bollinger, but has never made it available. In a letter to Fr. Bollinger, Bishop Adams said Fr. Bollinger had “betrayed my trust and… openly engaged in personal attacks on both me and members of my staff.”

Fr. Bollinger was removed from his duties as regional dean and urged to undergo residential psychiatric evaluation after the affidavit circulated. A draft of the Jan. 19 “pastoral admonition” said he was “to have no contact or communication with any of the presbyters in the Diocese of Central New York regarding the alleged sexual abuse case involving [the accused]. This pastoral admonition applies to any and all alleged victims and their families who have or may come forth… Additionally, this admonition applies to all communications regarding the allegations you have made against my administrative officer.”

Fr. Bollinger said he is motivated by a desire to see justice for the alleged victims and is perplexed by the apparent lack of due process from the diocese. Last January the second of his three daughters was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer. She is receiving treatment at the University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center. The legal bills and the family’s share of the medical costs have been a severe drain on family finances. “If the diocese is successful in deposing me, we will lose everything,” he said.

(The Rev.) George Conger and Steve Waring