MFFReport-forBpCurry

Requested by Bishop Curry

Report to Investigators - January 2016

The Reverend Meghan F. Froehlich

Acting Missioner for Transition Ministry - The Episcopal Church


Sam McDonald......................................................................3
Bishop Stacy Sauls................................................................4
Alex Baumgarten ..................................................................5
3 collectively ..........................................................................5
John Colón.............................................................................6
Others ....................................................................................6
Impact of behaviors on MFF ................................................7

2!

Sam McDonald

• Approach to Associates - degrading, racist, sexist, classist, controlling
• Atmosphere of fear - Jekyll/Hyde
• “Loyalty”
• Direct order not to share information with Team Leader
• Direct order to not share parts of budget report with Board
• Not allowed to speak with Board, Bishops, or DTMs as a group
• Constant threat of firing for all
• Perceived physical threat with wooden baseball bat, twice to me, observed

banging on cubicles while staff in cubicles
• Moody - capricious - random
• Observed use perceived “personal indulgence” with church funds
• Overuse of alcohol in public settings, way to “get work done” was to go for a

drink with Sam, Sam pressured MFF to drink when MFF made clear could
not because of medical
• Intimidation tactics: names, finances (you won’t get your budget), threats of
firing
• Ongoing public physical contact with younger female employees, usually
observed as unwelcome and intrusive
• Yelling regularly in office at employees
• Not open to alternate or creative ideas
• Took credit for others’ work, told lies to external sources
• Initial interview - we want to see if you will be able to “play” with us - whether
you will “fit in”

3!

• Overall atmosphere - “their own personal fraternity party”
• $14,000 misuse of funds with Rayogram for unused software - “like they

were playing around with it for their own fun with no plan for use”

Bishop Stacy Sauls

• Sexism - ongoing examples, not hearing when called on it respectfully,
argued over Teresa of Avila with Heidi and others

• “Loyalty”
• Inappropriate illustrations - esp convention
• Inappropriate threats in the guise of humor - pink slips
• Direct order to give credit to the COO, Deputy COO
• Observed use perceived “personal indulgence” with church funds, while using

public rhetoric about service to the poor
• Overuse of alcohol in public settings
• “DFMS requirement” - no sufficient explanation, not able to hear alternate

contextual sensitivities
• Initial interview - we want to see if you will be able to “play” with us - whether

you will “fit in”
• Gave public rhetoric about respect - showed none, temper tantrums, yelled at

Communicator Conference participants when keynote speaker
• Overall feeling of capricious behavior and self-promotion

4!

Alex Baumgarten

• Said “not important” when brought up Bp. Sauls’ ongoing inappropriate
comments “Weiner Mobile” at GC

• Observed to publicly seek company of younger women employees and other
participants at events, staff spoke of “Alex’s harem”

• Yelled publicly and loudly about a staff member at Baltimore IB meeting in
lunchroom where many Executive Council and IB members and staff were
present

3 collectively

• Direct order that they were in control and were not to be contradicted, ever
• Not prepared for meetings, unprofessional - did not tolerate that behavior in

staff
• Condescending about Bp Curry when he first elected, expressed

condescension at Mission all staff meeting in October 2015, MFF perceived
this as directly racist (Sam & Alex)
• Openly socialized with preference for each other’s company and ideas, did not
include “unattractive” or “not popular” staff in public socializing, dismissive

5!

John Colón

• Definitely enabled the whole system, made it clear that he was the “boy” of S,
Bp S, and A, desperate to be “included” by them, followed along with their
“humor,” did not offer a safe space for employees - only tried to create one for
himself

• Odd/unusual structure - HR reporting to COO rather than independent area
• Posted “Weiner Mobile” cake photo on Facebook
• Staff social events - MFF perceived as inappropriate in conversation and

action, e.g. how approached Christmas party dance time, references to sex
during social times
• Ineffective in processing items for his job - tells lies about conversations with
others

Others

Kurt Barnes
Su Hadden
Chuck Robertson

6!

Impact of behaviors on MFF

• Observed that 3 took “glee” in firing women particularly
• Interview
• Daily work
• Relationship with Team Leader
• Relationship with constituents
• Need for pastoral care of staff
• Amount of time/energy spent “covering” and “complying” and “keeping their

secret”
• Amount of time/energy decoding what was needed to simply keep job
• Analogy for current situation - staff - rescue dog

At Convention

Bp Sauls started with “joking” about pink slips
Bp Sauls - weiner mobile - would not drop it, put it on cake
Bp Sauls - required to report any communication with

In Office

Sam - Names for MFF and MR
Sam - baseball bat
Sam - threatening to fire

7!