Sidebottom Complaint Settled
Sources close to the case report that late last week the OCA has reached a settlement
with Paul Sidebottom, former Acting Dean of Students at St. Herman’s Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska.
The settlement came after months of investigation and mediation of Sidebottom’s formal complaint
filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in February 2008. The complaint alleged sexual
harassment by former Alaskan
Chancellor, Archimandrite Isidore (Brittain), and retaliatory discharge by the former
OCA Bishop of Alaska, Nikolai (Soraich).
The settlement came as Sidebottom’s deadline for filing a civil lawsuit drew near. According to an earlier
statement of one of Sidebottom’s attorneys, James C. Spencer, Sidebottom was always “..hopeful
that his complaint would be resolved within the structure of the Orthodox Church in America.” It appears that
this was the case. While full details of the settlement are not expected to be officially announced by the OCA until later
this week, sources indicate the settlement will include revisions to the OCA’s Sexual Misconduct Policy, new screening
requirements for candidates for the priesthood and episcopacy, disciplinary actions and an apology.
Background
Sidebottom’s February 2008 EEOC complaint alleged that Archimandrite Isidore sexually
harassed Sidebottom in May 2007. (Read that story here) The EEOC complaint then stated that Bishop Nikolai fired Sidebottom from his job at St. Herman’s Theological
Seminary in retaliation for his filing of a sexual harassment complaint with the Orthodox Church in America. (Read that story here)
The former Bishop of Alaska, +Nikolai, denied that the harassment incident occurred, rejected Sidebottom’s
complaint of retaliatory discharge and then accused other OCA Bishops of interfering in his diocese by
discussing these events. (Read that story here). Months of turmoil then began in the Alaskan Diocese, culminating in a growing priests’ rebellion
against +Nikolai, his suspension, reinstatement, and ultimate forced retirement in May 2008. Archimandrite
Isidore was suspended from the priesthood when he abandoned his post in Anchorage and choose to leave the state
with +Nikolai.
Major Figures Now Scattered to the Winds
+Nikolai has since left the country and taken up residence in a Serbian monastery
in Australia. (Read that story here.)
After serving in a Greek parish immediately
following his completion of a substance abuse rehabilitation program, Archimandrite
Isidore sought a more permanent posting in another Greek parish in the Upper Midwest. The attempt failed when
the Greek Church authorities determined his true status as a suspended priest.
Retired OCA Metropolitan Herman refused to act on Sidebottom’s original complaint,
thus
prolonging the crisis. The Metropolitan was forcibly retired in September
2008 following revelation of his misdeeds in the Report of the Special Investigation Committee (SIC). His administration of
St. Tikhon’s Monastery is now under investigation as well.
Paul Sidebottom, upon leaving
Alaska, returned to his home state of Kansas, where he currently works for a non-profit organization.
