PA--Minister accused of abuse is now being investigated in NC

For immediate release: Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])

A Bedford Pennsylvania minister who is accused of molesting at least three boys is now being investigated for perhaps abusing a child in North Carolina.

http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20160206/NEWS/160209461

Rev. Howard W. White Jr. recently led St. James Episcopal Church in Bedford. For years, he taught in Rhode Island at St. George's Episcopal School in Middletown, where school officials admit he had "inappropriate and potentially sexual misconduct with at least three male students." They quietly “fired Rev. White in 1974 after a student's parent reported the misconduct, which Rev. White admitted to the headmaster, but “the school never notified child-protection authorities — as required by the state's 1974 mandatory reporting law,” according to the Providence Journal.

Rev. White also worked at schools and churches in Virginia (Chatham Hall school in Chatham) and North Carolina (Asheville Country Day School in Asheville and Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville).

Several days ago, Waynesville NC police said they are investigating a new allegation of abuse against Rev. White.

We hope every single person who has information or suspicions about Rev. White will summon the courage to call law enforcement, expose wrongdoers, protect kids and start healing. Our hearts go out to the brave individuals who have already stepped up and spoken up and shed light on this serial child molesting cleric.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org )

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])