Rev. Sarah Skochko And Unitarian Universalist Clergy Sexual Misconduct Disclosure - What's The Connection?
How about this Facebook post by Unitarian Universalist minister Rev. Sarah Skochko about the apparently quite recent publication of the official Ministerial *Fellowship* Committee list of UUA Clergy Removed or Resigned from Fellowship with Completed or Pending Misconduct Investigations?
"The publication of this list is a huge deal. This is about transparency, accountability, and safety. I am so proud of the UUA for putting this online."
As much as I applaud Rev. Sarah Skochko for posting a link to this official Ministerial *Fellowship* Committee list of "UUA Clergy Removed or Resigned from Fellowship with Completed or Pending Misconduct Investigations" I think she might be somewhat naive and optimistic in believing that:"This is about transparency, accountability, and safety."
It is probably more about risk management and damage control than anything else.
In fact there are some obvious, and not so obvious, indeed FAR from obvious. . . problems with the apparently quite recent publication of this list.
I first became aware of this list of defellowshipped UUA ministers quite recently, indeed just a few months ago. I found it as a result of running a Google search on:
"Mack Mitchell" + rape
Guess what?
If you run the same search today, this UUA page is no longer found in the search results. In fact, it seems that if one runs Google searches for a variety of key words on this UUA web page it is not found by Google. It seems that the UUA has somehow managed to make this page all but completely UNfindable in Google.
So much for transparency. . .
Running a Google search for the title of the page, or pertinent parts of it, does not find the page directly, but it does find the UUA's Governance & Management topic pages which provide a link to it, for the time being. . . The fact remains that this UUA web page, which names UUA ministers who were removed from fellowship for various forms of clergy misconduct, including sex crimes such as pedophilia and rape, is all but completely UNfindable in Google even though, just a few months ago. . . I came across it by running the aforementioned Google search.
In recent years I have suspected the UUA of using search engine suppression tactics to make it hard to find The Emerson Avenger blog posts in Google, but it appears that the UUA may have used search engine suppression techniques to make this particular UUA web page very difficult to find if one runs a search for the "less than excellent" Unitarian*Universalist ministers who are named in it along with certain key words.
One would expect a Google search for:
Alexander McEachern "child molestation"
to find this page, but it doesn't. . .
One would expect a Google search for
Eliza Galaher "sexual misconduct"
to find this page, but it doesn't. . .
One would expect a Google search for:
Ron Robinson "child pornography"
to find this page, but it doesn't. . .
And so on. . .
The following comment by Melissa Bishop is worth quoting here:
"This
is so important and I agree- this should all get some air. What I want
to assure is that the UUA is centering the needs of survivors and giving
them pastoral and legal assistance or whatever else the survivor needs.
Particularly when an allegation is made. I have knowledge that this has
not been how the UUA operates. Thanks for sharing."
Yes, giving
the Unitarian Universalist clergy misconduct complainants "pastoral and legal assistance or whatever else the survivor needs" most certainly has not been the way the UUA operates.
Au contraire. . .
The UUA has gone to considerable lengths to not only dissuade clergy misconduct complainants and to obstruct justice for complainants in various ways but, if I am to believe certain people "in the know" about Unitarian Universalist clergy sexual misconduct, and I do. . . the UUA has silenced many clergy sexual misconduct complainants with NDAs. The UUA has even tried to intimidate complainants and whistleblowers into silence with threats of lawsuits and even criminal charges, all the while providing plenty of legal assistance to the "less than perfect" UUA ministers who have been accused of clergy misconduct of one kind or another. . .
This cease and desist demand letter that I was served with almost a decade ago, in June 2012, is an shameful example of UUA clergy abuse cover-up legal bullying.
It is probably more about risk management and damage control than anything else.
In fact there are some obvious, and not so obvious, indeed FAR from obvious. . . problems with the apparently quite recent publication of this list.
I first became aware of this list of defellowshipped UUA ministers quite recently, indeed just a few months ago. I found it as a result of running a Google search on:
"Mack Mitchell" + rape
Guess what?
If you run the same search today, this UUA page is no longer found in the search results. In fact, it seems that if one runs Google searches for a variety of key words on this UUA web page it is not found by Google. It seems that the UUA has somehow managed to make this page all but completely UNfindable in Google.
So much for transparency. . .
Running a Google search for the title of the page, or pertinent parts of it, does not find the page directly, but it does find the UUA's Governance & Management topic pages which provide a link to it, for the time being. . . The fact remains that this UUA web page, which names UUA ministers who were removed from fellowship for various forms of clergy misconduct, including sex crimes such as pedophilia and rape, is all but completely UNfindable in Google even though, just a few months ago. . . I came across it by running the aforementioned Google search.
In recent years I have suspected the UUA of using search engine suppression tactics to make it hard to find The Emerson Avenger blog posts in Google, but it appears that the UUA may have used search engine suppression techniques to make this particular UUA web page very difficult to find if one runs a search for the "less than excellent" Unitarian*Universalist ministers who are named in it along with certain key words.
One would expect a Google search for:
Alexander McEachern "child molestation"
to find this page, but it doesn't. . .
One would expect a Google search for
Eliza Galaher "sexual misconduct"to find this page, but it doesn't. . .
One would expect a Google search for:
Ron Robinson "child pornography"
to find this page, but it doesn't. . .
And so on. . .
The following comment by Melissa Bishop is worth quoting here:
"This
is so important and I agree- this should all get some air. What I want
to assure is that the UUA is centering the needs of survivors and giving
them pastoral and legal assistance or whatever else the survivor needs.
Particularly when an allegation is made. I have knowledge that this has
not been how the UUA operates. Thanks for sharing."
Yes, giving
the Unitarian Universalist clergy misconduct complainants "pastoral and legal assistance or whatever else the survivor needs" most certainly has not been the way the UUA operates.
Au contraire. . .
The UUA has gone to considerable lengths to not only dissuade clergy misconduct complainants and to obstruct justice for complainants in various ways but, if I am to believe certain people "in the know" about Unitarian Universalist clergy sexual misconduct, and I do. . . the UUA has silenced many clergy sexual misconduct complainants with NDAs. The UUA has even tried to intimidate complainants and whistleblowers into silence with threats of lawsuits and even criminal charges, all the while providing plenty of legal assistance to the "less than perfect" UUA ministers who have been accused of clergy misconduct of one kind or another. . .
This cease and desist demand letter that I was served with almost a decade ago, in June 2012, is an shameful example of UUA clergy abuse cover-up legal bullying.
to find this page, but it doesn't. . .
One would expect a Google search for:
Ron Robinson "child pornography"
to find this page, but it doesn't. . .
And so on. . .
The following comment by Melissa Bishop is worth quoting here:
"This
is so important and I agree- this should all get some air. What I want
to assure is that the UUA is centering the needs of survivors and giving
them pastoral and legal assistance or whatever else the survivor needs.
Particularly when an allegation is made. I have knowledge that this has
not been how the UUA operates. Thanks for sharing."
Yes, giving
the Unitarian Universalist clergy misconduct complainants "pastoral and legal assistance or whatever else the survivor needs" most certainly has not been the way the UUA operates.
Au contraire. . .
The UUA has gone to considerable lengths to not only dissuade clergy misconduct complainants and to obstruct justice for complainants in various ways but, if I am to believe certain people "in the know" about Unitarian Universalist clergy sexual misconduct, and I do. . . the UUA has silenced many clergy sexual misconduct complainants with NDAs. The UUA has even tried to intimidate complainants and whistleblowers into silence with threats of lawsuits and even criminal charges, all the while providing plenty of legal assistance to the "less than perfect" UUA ministers who have been accused of clergy misconduct of one kind or another. . .
This cease and desist demand letter that I was served with almost a decade ago, in June 2012, is an shameful example of UUA clergy abuse cover-up legal bullying.
One would expect a Google search for:
Ron Robinson "child pornography"One would expect a Google search for:
to find this page, but it doesn't. . .
And so on. . .to find this page, but it doesn't. . .
to find this page, but it doesn't. . .
The following comment by Melissa Bishop is worth quoting here:
"This is so important and I agree- this should all get some air. What I want to assure is that the UUA is centering the needs of survivors and giving them pastoral and legal assistance or whatever else the survivor needs. Particularly when an allegation is made. I have knowledge that this has not been how the UUA operates. Thanks for sharing."
Yes, giving
the Unitarian Universalist clergy misconduct complainants "pastoral and legal assistance or whatever else the survivor needs" most certainly has not been the way the UUA operates.
Au contraire. . .
The UUA has gone to considerable lengths to not only dissuade clergy misconduct complainants and to obstruct justice for complainants in various ways but, if I am to believe certain people "in the know" about Unitarian Universalist clergy sexual misconduct, and I do. . . the UUA has silenced many clergy sexual misconduct complainants with NDAs. The UUA has even tried to intimidate complainants and whistleblowers into silence with threats of lawsuits and even criminal charges, all the while providing plenty of legal assistance to the "less than perfect" UUA ministers who have been accused of clergy misconduct of one kind or another. . .
This cease and desist demand letter that I was served with almost a decade ago, in June 2012, is an shameful example of UUA clergy abuse cover-up legal bullying.
Yes, giving
the Unitarian Universalist clergy misconduct complainants "pastoral and legal assistance or whatever else the survivor needs" most certainly has not been the way the UUA operates.
Au contraire. . .
The UUA has gone to considerable lengths to not only dissuade clergy misconduct complainants and to obstruct justice for complainants in various ways but, if I am to believe certain people "in the know" about Unitarian Universalist clergy sexual misconduct, and I do. . . the UUA has silenced many clergy sexual misconduct complainants with NDAs. The UUA has even tried to intimidate complainants and whistleblowers into silence with threats of lawsuits and even criminal charges, all the while providing plenty of legal assistance to the "less than perfect" UUA ministers who have been accused of clergy misconduct of one kind or another. . .
This cease and desist demand letter that I was served with almost a decade ago, in June 2012, is an shameful example of UUA clergy abuse cover-up legal bullying.
Yes, giving
the Unitarian Universalist clergy misconduct complainants "pastoral and legal assistance or whatever else the survivor needs" most certainly has not been the way the UUA operates.
Au contraire. . .
The UUA has gone to considerable lengths to not only dissuade clergy misconduct complainants and to obstruct justice for complainants in various ways but, if I am to believe certain people "in the know" about Unitarian Universalist clergy sexual misconduct, and I do. . . the UUA has silenced many clergy sexual misconduct complainants with NDAs. The UUA has even tried to intimidate complainants and whistleblowers into silence with threats of lawsuits and even criminal charges, all the while providing plenty of legal assistance to the "less than perfect" UUA ministers who have been accused of clergy misconduct of one kind or another. . .
This cease and desist demand letter that I was served with almost a decade ago, in June 2012, is an shameful example of UUA clergy abuse cover-up legal bullying.
Au contraire. . .
The UUA has gone to considerable lengths to not only dissuade clergy misconduct complainants and to obstruct justice for complainants in various ways but, if I am to believe certain people "in the know" about Unitarian Universalist clergy sexual misconduct, and I do. . . the UUA has silenced many clergy sexual misconduct complainants with NDAs. The UUA has even tried to intimidate complainants and whistleblowers into silence with threats of lawsuits and even criminal charges, all the while providing plenty of legal assistance to the "less than perfect" UUA ministers who have been accused of clergy misconduct of one kind or another. . .
This cease and desist demand letter that I was served with almost a decade ago, in June 2012, is an shameful example of UUA clergy abuse cover-up legal bullying.
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