Thursday, March 18, 2021
To all past and present members of the Saint Thomas Community – Church and Choir School:
The safeguarding of children, young people, and vulnerable adults is of paramount importance to all who serve as lay and ordained leaders at Saint Thomas Church and Choir School. When a person is baptized, the whole community renews its baptismal vows, which include:
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people,
and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will, with God's help.
This vow underpins our commitment to safeguarding all God’s people, whether child, young person, or adult.
Sadly, instances of abuse and neglect of children in schools and faith communities in the United States and in the rest of the world have become all too common. Such abuse has caused deep and lasting damage to those victims and their families.
Recently, the Vestry became aware of allegations of child sexual misconduct made against a person in another Diocese. The misconduct is alleged to have taken place between 1999 and 2001 and is currently being investigated by the Diocese of Massachusetts and the relevant governmental authorities. This person was formerly employed by Saint Thomas Church between 2004 and 2007.
We have also received allegations made against two others formerly employed by Saint Thomas Church and Choir School. The first relates to the mid-1980s and the second to 2000-04. We have reported these allegations to the appropriate authorities.
I am writing so you may share any concerns or knowledge that may be helpful. To accomplish this goal, T&M USA, LLC (“T&M”) has been engaged to undertake a third-party investigation into any reported allegations of sexual misconduct. T&M has significant experience working with victims of abuse and has worked with a variety of institutions including K-12 independent schools and churches. This investigation is voluntary and is being conducted out of an abundance of care for our constituents.
If you have information about possible misconduct against minors involving Saint Thomas Church parishioners or employees or involving Saint Thomas Choir School employees, we encourage you to contact T&M. Any information shared will be treated with the utmost respect and confidentiality and will not be disclosed without the reporter’s consent, except as mandated by law or to protect a minor from harm.
After T&M completes its investigations, we expect to share its findings.
Saint Thomas is committed to following the best practices in relation to recruitment of staff and volunteers, the supervision of children, and the care of vulnerable adults. Every five years, our school is visited by the New York Association of Independent Schools (“NYSAIS”). These accreditation visits help to ensure that Saint Thomas Choir School has appropriate safeguarding policies for our boarding school and that those policies are monitored and enforced. Our commitment to best practices also extends to our work with children and vulnerable adults in the Parish.
Over the past year, the Church and Choir School reviewed our safeguarding policies in the light of evolving legislation from the Department of Education of the State of New York, and of advice from the Episcopal Church, the National Association of Episcopal Schools, and the National Association of Independent Schools. As part of that review, we also invited the independent firm Praesidium to undertake a thorough review of historic church and school personnel files to confirm there were no additional indications of safety or abuse issues.
As I stated at the beginning of this letter, the safeguarding of children, young people, and vulnerable adults is of paramount importance. Our concern is not just for those who are currently part of our church or school community, it extends to all who may have been harmed in the past.
The dedicated telephone number is 646-445-7748. (Please note that this is not a 24-hour hotline and you may have to leave a message for someone to call you back. The number is only for enquiries concerning Saint Thomas Church and Choir School).
Yours faithfully, and on behalf of the Wardens and Vestry,
The Rev. Canon Carl Turner
