Unitarian Universalism Is Indeed "The Uncommon Denomination" When It Comes To UUA (Mis)Handling Of Clergy Sexual Misconduct Cases
And NOT in a positive sense at all. . .
Au contraire UUs, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations aka the UUA does a shamefully inadequate job of handling cases of clergy sexual misconduct, to say nothing of the UUA's even worse negligent and complicit mishandling of non-sexual forms of clergy misconduct aka clergy abuse.
But don't take *my* word for it UUs.
Take the word of a the person of inherent worth and dignity who posted the following comment to UUGrrl's 'Breaking the Silence Redux' blog post using the pseudonymous handle 'Another survivor of UU CSM' -
Thank you for resuming this most important work. Your voice brings hope to all those who struggle in silence — hope that others, fellow UUs and outsiders, may see that Unitarian Universalism is far from being the model denomination in handling cases of clergy sexual misconduct — hope that others might hear the call for justice and speak out, telling the powers that be that their treatment of survivors is unacceptable and demanding transparency and inclusion as the UUA leadership takes steps towards developing more humane processes.
end quote
If that recent testimony is not enough to convince you that Unitarian Universalism is FAR from being the model denomination in handling cases of clergy sexual misconduct I refer you to these words from the UUA's official apology to victims of UU clergy sexual misconduct which was delivered by the Executive Vice President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Kay Montgomery, over a decade ago during the year 2000 UUA GA held in Nashville Tennessee -
"Let me say this as simply and unequivocally as I know how: the Association has largely failed the people most hurt by sexual misconduct, the victims and survivors. Other denominations have done better. These brave and bruised people have, more often than not I suspect, been left lonely, confused, afraid, angry and betrayed. Un-ministered to. . ."
Sadly, very little has changed for the better since UUA Vice President Kay Montgomery delivered that now questionably sincere official apology to UU clergy sexual misconduct victims and survivors. Kathleen C.* Montgomery concluded that official UUA apology with the following words -
I am profoundly sorry. And I pledge that this gap, this failure, will be remedied. This past year we experimented with a nascent advocacy program. Inspired by the Panel's report, we will change and learn and in this untended area, we will bend toward justice. "There is only us."
end quote
It seems that Kay Montgomery, along with the subsequent UUA administrations of Rev. William G. Sinkford and Rev. Peter Morales, have failed quite miserably to live up to aka honor and uphold the letter and the spirit of that "pledge" aka solemn promise. . .
Indeed UUGrrl writes -
As best I can tell, since 2001 the process for handling complaints has become, if anything, more inhumane. There is no longer any excuse for it. As one member said afterwards, “You can’t excuse the inexcusable.”
end quote
I hereby call upon UUA President Rev. Peter Morales to fire UUA Executive Vice President Kay Montgomery for her negligent and incompetent failure, if not her knowing and willful refusal. . . to actually live up to the promise of that effectively empty "pledge" to "bend towards justice" which she made on behalf of the UUA over a decade ago now. . . Ten long years have gone by and not only is there absolutely minimal positive change in how the UUA handles clergy misconduct complaints of all kinds but it would seem that *some* of the UUA's clergy misconduct policies and procedures are arguably "more inhumane" than they were a decade ago. Certainly there are some very serious flaws in the UUA's process for handling clergy misconduct complaints that have never been responsibly reformed and corrected, in spite of the fact that both the Bill Sinkford and Peter Morales UUA administrations, and the UUA Board of Trustess, have been repeatedly reminded about these systemic injustices built into the UUA's clergy misconduct process which are most certainly NOT in alignment with the claimed principles and purposes of Unitarian Universalism aka the The Uncommonly Hypocritical Denomination.
* C. as in "See no evil" perhaps?
Au contraire UUs, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations aka the UUA does a shamefully inadequate job of handling cases of clergy sexual misconduct, to say nothing of the UUA's even worse negligent and complicit mishandling of non-sexual forms of clergy misconduct aka clergy abuse.
But don't take *my* word for it UUs.
Take the word of a the person of inherent worth and dignity who posted the following comment to UUGrrl's 'Breaking the Silence Redux' blog post using the pseudonymous handle 'Another survivor of UU CSM' -
Thank you for resuming this most important work. Your voice brings hope to all those who struggle in silence — hope that others, fellow UUs and outsiders, may see that Unitarian Universalism is far from being the model denomination in handling cases of clergy sexual misconduct — hope that others might hear the call for justice and speak out, telling the powers that be that their treatment of survivors is unacceptable and demanding transparency and inclusion as the UUA leadership takes steps towards developing more humane processes.
end quote
If that recent testimony is not enough to convince you that Unitarian Universalism is FAR from being the model denomination in handling cases of clergy sexual misconduct I refer you to these words from the UUA's official apology to victims of UU clergy sexual misconduct which was delivered by the Executive Vice President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Kay Montgomery, over a decade ago during the year 2000 UUA GA held in Nashville Tennessee -
"Let me say this as simply and unequivocally as I know how: the Association has largely failed the people most hurt by sexual misconduct, the victims and survivors. Other denominations have done better. These brave and bruised people have, more often than not I suspect, been left lonely, confused, afraid, angry and betrayed. Un-ministered to. . ."
Sadly, very little has changed for the better since UUA Vice President Kay Montgomery delivered that now questionably sincere official apology to UU clergy sexual misconduct victims and survivors. Kathleen C.* Montgomery concluded that official UUA apology with the following words -
I am profoundly sorry. And I pledge that this gap, this failure, will be remedied. This past year we experimented with a nascent advocacy program. Inspired by the Panel's report, we will change and learn and in this untended area, we will bend toward justice. "There is only us."
end quote
It seems that Kay Montgomery, along with the subsequent UUA administrations of Rev. William G. Sinkford and Rev. Peter Morales, have failed quite miserably to live up to aka honor and uphold the letter and the spirit of that "pledge" aka solemn promise. . .
Indeed UUGrrl writes -
As best I can tell, since 2001 the process for handling complaints has become, if anything, more inhumane. There is no longer any excuse for it. As one member said afterwards, “You can’t excuse the inexcusable.”
end quote
I hereby call upon UUA President Rev. Peter Morales to fire UUA Executive Vice President Kay Montgomery for her negligent and incompetent failure, if not her knowing and willful refusal. . . to actually live up to the promise of that effectively empty "pledge" to "bend towards justice" which she made on behalf of the UUA over a decade ago now. . . Ten long years have gone by and not only is there absolutely minimal positive change in how the UUA handles clergy misconduct complaints of all kinds but it would seem that *some* of the UUA's clergy misconduct policies and procedures are arguably "more inhumane" than they were a decade ago. Certainly there are some very serious flaws in the UUA's process for handling clergy misconduct complaints that have never been responsibly reformed and corrected, in spite of the fact that both the Bill Sinkford and Peter Morales UUA administrations, and the UUA Board of Trustess, have been repeatedly reminded about these systemic injustices built into the UUA's clergy misconduct process which are most certainly NOT in alignment with the claimed principles and purposes of Unitarian Universalism aka the The Uncommonly Hypocritical Denomination.
* C. as in "See no evil" perhaps?
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