Intake

Screening

During the intake process, as soon as all readily available information about the alleged misconduct has been received, the Intake Officer performs an initial screening to determine two important questions. In this evaluation, the Intake Officer must assume the allegations to be true as presented.

1. Does the alleged misconduct fall within the types of misconduct the Church’s disciplinary system is established to address? The Canons of The Episcopal Church set forth a list of behaviors or actions by a clergyperson that constitute official misconduct, or an “Offense.” (Title IV.3 and 4) If the Complaint does not describe conduct that falls within any of those definitions, the Church should still respond pastorally to the person who has been injured or insulted by the behavior, even though a disciplinary proceeding will not be initiated.

2. Is the misconduct “material?” (Title IV.3.3) This involves a determination of whether there has been enough harm or ecclesiastical consequence to the Church or individual members to justify a full disciplinary investigation and proceedings.

Sometimes a Priest, Deacon, or Bishop will make a comment or take some incidental action that is not particularly consequential in terms of injury to any person or to the interest of the Church, even if it offends an individual or group. If that kind of behavior is not identified as a pattern of behavior, and is only an isolated incident, it may be in the interest of all involved to treat the matter by some other kind of intervention rather than a disciplinary complaint and process.

If the answer to either question is “no” (i.e., is it an “Offense” and is it “material”), the Intake Officer determines that the complaint should be dismissed, and so notifies the Bishop. If the Bishop agrees, the Intake Officer will notify the Complainant of that decision, the reasons for the decision, and the right of the Complainant to appeal the dismissal to the President of the Disciplinary Board. If not already appointed, an Advisor is appointed to assist the Complainant in making this decision and in submitting an appeal. The President of the Disciplinary Board will either affirm the dismissal or reverse it and direct the matter to proceed.

The Church strives to respond pastorally to every individual or group who brings forth information concerning an alleged incident of misconduct, and to explain to the provider of the information what the Church’s response system and procedures will be, even if a case is dismissed after screening.

Participants

In the screening step, the Intake Officer must not judge the truth of the allegations, and must apply the screening filters with the assumption that the information provided is true. The first question involves a thorough understanding of the canonical description of Offenses for which disciplinary proceedings are appropriate. (Title IV.3 and 4) The second question is more subjective, hence the requirement that the Bishop agree to any decision to dismiss.

This analysis may involve consultation on the meaning of the canonical Offenses, and the means by which to evaluate materiality.

The Advisor helps the Complainant understand this step, which is very important to honoring the values of Title IV (Title IV.1) and in promoting prospects of reconciliation and healing. This includes advising the Complainant that the screening process assumes the truthfulness of the information provided, and that the decision is not a reflection on the credibility of the Complainant.