Whistleblower

[Nell]

Sexual abuse is a crime. Ask the Roman Catholic Church. Ask Penn State University, ask Jerry Sandusky. Ask Harvey Weinstein. Watch the news.

Sexual abuse is a police matter and should be reported. It's called blowing the whistle, saying NO MORE. There is NO spiritual justification for sexual abuse.

While I have not been a victim of sexual abuse, I have been a "whistleblower" in the workplace. My coworkers and I were exposed to criminal behavior in a government agency on the part of our direct supervisor. We contacted the FBI because we did not trust the Inspector General's office for that agency. The FBI contacted the US Secret Service who, in turn, brought in the IG that we didn't trust. This created "oversight" of the entire process. We reported the crime, because it is also a crime to have knowledge of, but not report criminal behavior to the authorities.

If you choose to become a whistleblower in any environment, bring in an outside advocate. (We brought in the FBI.) If you choose to report sexual abuse in the Local Church, don't report it internally. Because of the intensely closed Local Church culture, you don't know who you can trust. Get a lawyer, then go to the police.

This was not easy for my coworkers and I. There was a price. The stress was enormous. I eventually was terribly humiliated when I was unjustly fired from my job. All of my coworkers who reported the crime lost their jobs. Regardless, the Lord was with me and I had some amazing experiences of his love and care for me. I told the truth and was greatly blessed for doing so. Still, it wasn't easy. I told my story on a TV interview, as did another of my coworkers. But we all paid a high price. I could never again apply for a job and check the box "Have you ever been fired from a job?" with a "NO." But there was also a price for the criminals in my office. One of my coworkers, under direction of the Secret Service, "wore a wire" to gather evidence. The criminal actually tried to recruit my coworker on this wire tap, to join their criminal activity.

There was a "raid" on my office. The criminals were removed. Their homes were searched. They confessed to their crime and lost their jobs. They can never again work for a government agency. They bargained for "deferred adjudication" and avoided going to prison and a criminal felony record.

I'm telling you this to say that I'm not just preaching about reporting a crime with no experience. I'm a whistleblower myself. Federal laws were changed after my coworkers and I became whistleblowers. We actually gained the direct support of a member of the U.S. Senate.

You will notice that I keep saying "my coworkers and I." We did what we did together. I don't think I could have done this alone. The Local Church is not above the law. In this #METOO climate, when you report your assault to the police, it will not be swept under the massive Local Church rug.

I would not tell anyone what to do, but I would like to encourage those who were abused in the Local Churches to consider their options today. Think about the others who come after you. Pray about it. If you would like to talk further, PM me and we could perhaps even discuss further on the "sisters only" forum.

If you are an abuser in the Local Church, or have knowledge of abuse, you are a criminal. You are not a participant in "God's best" but "the devil's worst." You have an obligation to your victims and to the Body of Christ to stop your sin, repent to your Lord and Savior, repent to your victims, repent to the church and to make restitution to your victims and rid the church of this heinous crime and this shame to the Lord's name.

Blessings to you all--

Nell