Make New York clergy mandated reporters.

I am President of the New York State Council of Churches, whose membership includes over 7,500 churches in New York State.

Today the New York State Council of Churches stands in solidarity with our sisters and brothers who advocate for the passage and enactment of the CARE Act legislation in New York State.

Clergy would join a wide group of professionals who are legally mandated to report child abuse.  This legislation is one more way to identify and minimize abuse of the vulnerable. We wish to stress that in nearly half the states, clergy are mandated reporters. As a Council, it’s incredible to us that New York did not make this a requirement many years ago.

We invite you to join us in this advocacy effort by calling your state assemblyperson, state senator, and the governor’s office. It’s time to pass this legislation right away.

The United Church of Christ has a robust process for processing claims of clergy sexual abuse and other misconduct. We hold as sacred the responsibility of providing a place of safety and accountability. It is expected of all clergy and others who work with youth and children to be mandated reporters when suspicions or allegations of abuse arise. Further, the United Church of Christ has resources for churches who wish to commit themselves to a journey of healing after such abuse has been reported. We commit to making a safe space for survivors to share their stories and be heard compassionately by the Church.

I appreciate subdivision 1, paragraph (e), that states that clergy are not required to disclose a confidence made to them as spiritual advisor. This should be safeguarded. It does sadden me however, that there is a need to spell it out in paragraph (f) that “if the clergy has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is abused or maltreated based on information other than through a confession, they must report it.”

Christians are mandated reporters. We are mandated by Christ to care for the “least of these” among us - meaning the most vulnerable. In this case, the children. The United Church of Christ and I stand with you in the hope that NYS will pass this important legislation in the belief it will prevent many of our children from being further traumatized and harmed.

I’ve been happy to see that a strong majority of the public also supports this bill. What criticism I have seen for this bill has largely based on a misunderstanding of the bill itself, specifically around the subject of confession. I grew up in and was confirmed in the United Methodist Church, so the church I attended did not have confession, but many of my friends and family are Catholics and I fully understand the importance and significance of confession in the Catholic faith. I understand why some Catholics would feel conflicted about a bill that would require the clergy to report information obtained during confession. But this bill does not do that.

This bill does not require clergy to report information reported to them during their duties as a faith leader. It would require them to be mandatory reporters for the same reasons that teachers, day care workers, doctors, and nurses are already mandatory reporters: because they are the trusted authority figures an abused child may rely on for help. Most abuse comes from inside of a child’s own family, and in organizations like the CFC where home schooling is common, a clergy member may be the only authority figure a child has access to. If that clergy member chooses to protect the abuser or the reputation of their church over protecting the child, that child may have no other place to turn.

Some have also claimed that if the abuser is repentant the church can handle the issue internally, but this is no more true for abuse than it is for any other crime. If you or a loved one was a victim of assault, robbery, or hit by a drunk driver, spiritual repentance would be no more justice for you than it is for the victims of abuse. Repentance may be an important step towards rehabilitation towards some, but it is not a replacement for the criminal justice system.

To become a Unitarian Universalist minister I was given extensive training in the ethics of my vocation. It was always stressed the importance of knowing your role and notifying others when issues arise. Abuse should never be kept secret because it is likely to happen again. As a former chaplain to youth in the Mountain Desert District of the Unitarian Universalist Association I trained other chaplains and taught them that we are all mandatory reporters regardless of the state’s reporting laws. I was surprised to find out that New York did not mandate clergy to report abuse and criminal sexual conduct.

Clergy are called to be a pastoral presence and to journey with people during their trials and tribulations. We also need to know the limits of our calling and work with other professionals to stop harm. Therefore, I support the CARE Act to make clergy mandated reporters of abuse.

As a Rabbi and a leader in my community, I believe supporting measures that protect the most vulnerable among us is essential. The CARE Act is crucial in ensuring that clergy members are held accountable for reporting sexual abuse to the proper authorities. By making reporting mandatory, we can help prevent future abuse and bring justice to those who have already suffered. Our religious leaders are responsible for creating safe environments for our congregants, and I fully endorse the CARE Act as a necessary step towards achieving this goal.