Dismissed ecumenical official files suit
By Linda Bloom*
May 29, 2009 | NEW YORK (UMNS)
The Rev. W. Douglas Mills
|
A former staff executive with the United Methodist Commission on
Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns has filed suit against the
agency and the Rev. Stephen Sidorak Jr., its chief executive.
The Rev. W. Douglas Mills said he was wrongfully terminated from
his position as associate general secretary for dialogue and interfaith
relations and is seeking compensation and damages. The lawsuit was
filed by his attorney, Obayomi Awoyinfa, on May 26 in the Supreme Court
of the State of New York.
The point of the complaint, Mills told United Methodist News
Service, is who has authority over the hiring and firing of elected
staff. “The general secretary (Sidorak) does not understand our
polity,” he said. “The point is the (commission’s) board of directors,
who are in fact responsible to General Conference, are the persons who
elect certain staff and can terminate certain staff.”
The lawsuit is asking for $400,000 in compensation of wages and
benefits, another $500,000 for “torturous interference” by Sidorak with
Mills’ employment, damages for psychological trauma, and emotional
distress and reimbursement of reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.
Attempts to reach Sidorak – who was attending an executive staff meeting in Connecticut – for reaction were unsuccessful.
On March 9, both Mills and Wendy Whiteside, another executive, were
dismissed by Sidorak from their positions with the agency. Mills had
worked for the agency since June 1, 2005. Sidorak issued a brief
statement that they were “no longer with the agency” but expressed
appreciation for their work.
The Rev. Stephen Sidorak
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Sidorak was first elected to lead the commission on May 14, 2008, and began work on July 1.
During the commission’s meeting September 2008, the two
executives, along with Sidorak, had been elected by its board of
directors for a four-year term, an action indicated by Paragraph 713 of
the United Methodist Book of Discipline, the denomination’s
book of law. Mills said he had never received “good indications” from
directors about his work since that time.
Expectation of employment
Because of that election, Mills “had a reasonable employment
expectancy of at least four years from September 2008, and these were
the terms upon which (Mills) agreed to work,” the lawsuit claimed.
According to the complaint, when Sidorak was being interviewed
for the position of chief executive, he made clear an intention to fire
the current staff to start “on a clean slate.” Mills then suggested
Sidorak consult the Book of Discipline for guidance on the
employment of elected staff, the complaint said. Mills said he did not
have any indication from Sidorak that he was unhappy with his work or
planned to terminate his employment.
Mills, who is an elder in good standing in the New Mexico Annual
Conference, said he has an appointment in June to a congregation in the
New Mexico-Northwest Texas episcopal area.
*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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Commission on Christian Unity |