Vermont
A new wave of Vermont Catholic abuse claimants has its day in court – VTDigger
BURLINGTON — Two decades after news broke of a nationwide Catholic priest misconduct scandal, seven Vermont child sex abuse claimants spoke in court Wednesday about the lingering impact.
“He molested me in my own house, in my own bed,” a 61-year-old man identified as Speaker 5 recalled of being an altar boy a half-century ago. “I froze and never said a word. Today, as an adult, I am still working on the side effects.”
Leaders of Vermont’s Roman Catholic Diocese have heard many such comments over the years as they’ve paid out $34.5 million to settle 67 civil lawsuits alleging clerical improprieties dating as far back as 1950.
But Wednesday saw officials in a different venue: U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Burlington, where the state’s largest religious denomination is seeking Chapter 11 protection in hopes of reorganizing its depleting finances.
“I’d like to say thank you for having our voices heard,” the first speaker, who identified himself to reporters as Kevin McLaughlin, told Judge Heather Cooper. “This sort of thing leaves scars.”
As part of the Chapter 11 process, all pending and future lawsuits have been placed on hold as 118 new accusers have submitted confidential claims to join the case as potential creditors — almost double the number of people who previously settled before the diocese filed for bankruptcy last fall.
Although the bankruptcy court has no authority to rule on any of the sealed allegations, it allowed seven of the latest accusers to offer non-evidentiary “survivor statements” as a courtesy at a special session at Burlington’s Federal Building.
“When the diocese filed for bankruptcy, it robbed those survivors of their opportunity to stand in front of a jury of their peers,” said Brittany Michael, the lawyer for a federally appointed committee representing creditors with abuse claims. “We know that the opportunity to speak in court can be an important part of the healing journey.”
For two hours, speaker after speaker talked both generally and graphically, standing up and breaking down, as they remembered being anywhere from 6 to 15 when they were abused.
“I immediately buried those memories, but I was forever changed,” said a man identified as Speaker 3. “I thought many times of committing suicide because it was so painful.”
Other men spoke of continuing shame and stress, anxiety and depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and panic attacks, as well as failed classes and marriages and alcohol and drug dependence.
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“It has taken me decades to understand this monster has been responsible,” a man identified as Speaker 2 said of the priest who abused him. “All this time I thought I had been the only one. My only regret is not having the courage to come forward sooner.”
The Vermont diocese is the nation’s 40th Catholic entity to seek bankruptcy protection because of clergy misconduct. Under federal law, it must present the court with a tally of its financial assets and liabilities. The judge then will decide whether to allow church leaders to develop a reorganization plan that would require approval from both the court and creditors.
Abuse claimants are seeking church records detailing not only a reported $35 million tied to the diocese’s headquarters and state-level holdings but also all the local operations it oversees, starting with 63 parishes with an estimated collective worth of $500 million. The resulting findings are expected to spark future court debate on which assets can be used to compensate creditors.
Vermont Catholic Bishop John McDermott attended Wednesday’s special session.
“It is my sincere hope and fervent prayer,” he said afterward in a statement, “that today’s hearing will be a source of continued healing for the survivors who shared their stories and for all who have filed a claim against the diocese.”
McDermott was installed as bishop last July, only to land in court just two months later.
“The diocese is not filing this bankruptcy case in an attempt to avoid any responsibility,” the bishop said at the time in an affidavit. “Due to the number of civil cases and claims filed against the diocese and limitations of the diocese’s resources, the diocese determined that reorganization under Chapter 11 is the only way to fairly and equitably fulfill the diocese’s obligations to all survivors of sexual abuse.”
The Office of the State Auditor found significant shortcomings with how the Vermont Department of Health reviews complaints related to food and lodging establishments, according to a recent report.
The report is the first audit of four planned for the coming months by Auditor Doug Hoffer and his staff, part of an effort to assess how the state government responds to Vermonters’ complaints.
The department’s Food and Lodging program is responsible for ensuring that Vermont restaurants, hotels, and other similar establishments, follow the state’s health and sanitation regulations and protocols. The program provides licenses and inspects more than 6,000 food establishments and regulates lodging facilities, while addressing the complaints it receives from the public.
The audit selected 45 complaints for review out of the 1,081 complaints the program received between 2022 and 2024. The types of complaints that come in include allegations of unsanitary conditions, bed bug infestations, inadequate cooking and contaminated food equipment. Inspectors have to first verify if the complaints are true, and if so, recommend corrective actions.
However, the audit found that inspections were not always conducted within the required timeframe, and, in some cases, inspectors did not follow up to verify if the problems were resolved. Of the complaints reviewed, 16 of them were not investigated in the timeframe required. Seven out of the 10 complaints with more serious allegations were not investigated within the required two days. Two of them were not investigated at all.
Additionally, inspectors closed 18 of the 26 complaints that required corrective actions without confirming if the problems had been resolved. Hoffer said this does not necessarily mean that the owner of the establishment did not address the problem but that the inspectors did not visit the place again to check if they did.
“If you’re calling for a corrective action for a serious problem, you need to make sure that it’s been done and documented, and they were kind of short on that,” Hoffer said.
The audit also found that the Department of Health doesn’t measure the performance of the Food and Lodging program, which is a state requirement. The program is also missing specific policies and procedures for handling complaints.
Hoffer said the auditor’s office will follow up in one year and again in three years to see if the department has implemented their recommendations to improve the program.
The public complaint system evaluated in the audit is just one part of the work carried out by the program, according to Liz Wirsing, the senior program manager for Food and Lodging.
“The report evaluated a small sample of the hundreds of complaints that we receive and follow up on every year, so sometimes other priorities have to take precedence for protecting public health,” Wirsing said.
Still the recommendations are helpful, and the program is already working on implementing them, she said.
“We appreciate the public reaching out to us and sharing their concern,” Wirsing said, adding that people should continue to file complaints. “It’s important information, and it does help alert us sometimes to things that need some follow-up.”
Vermont
Vermont state employees’ union files labor complaint over Gov. Phil Scott’s return-to-office plan — and sues – VTDigger
The union representing Vermont state employees is turning to two legal venues to challenge Gov. Phil Scott’s order that many of its members return to the office in person.
On Nov. 10, the Vermont State Employees’ Association filed a charge with the state’s Labor Relations Board alleging the Scott administration skirted a union demand to enter formal bargaining over the return-to-work plan, in violation of labor protection laws. The plan will require many employees to come into the office at least three days a week.
The union also filed a separate grievance with the Labor Relations Board arguing that parts of the plan violated the collective bargaining agreement it has in place with the state.
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Then, on Nov. 12, the union filed a lawsuit in Washington County Superior civil court asking a judge to bar the Scott administration from implementing its workplace plan — set to take effect Dec. 1 — until the labor board adjudicates the union’s complaints.
The union wrote in its lawsuit that “neither the unfair labor practice charge nor the grievance is capable of being decided” by the labor board before Dec. 1. The suit seeks a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction that allows state employees to continue working remotely.
Steve Howard, the union’s executive director, said in an interview Wednesday that he hoped the suit would at least slow the implementation of the governor’s directive. He said he thought a hearing could be held on the lawsuit as soon as next week.
The legal challenges mark a significant escalation in the monthslong fight between the union and the administration over the plan to have state workers, with some exceptions, return to the office. The union contends that the hybrid work mandate will cause experienced employees to quit, decreasing the quality of state departments’ work.
At the same time, administration officials say that the order will improve government services by boosting collaboration and helping to preserve institutional knowledge. They’ve argued Vermonters want government workers to be present in-person.
In a statement Thursday, Amanda Wheeler, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said the union’s legal challenges had no impact on Scott’s support for the plan.
“The Administration’s decision to implement this standard is well within our authority,” Wheeler wrote. “The Governor’s position on returning to a hybrid work standard has not changed, he continues to believe human connection is an important part of employee engagement, as well as team building and learning from each other.”
According to court filings, after the administration formally announced its return-to-work plans in late August, it wrote to the union in September requesting a meeting to discuss the plans and hear the union’s concerns. In that letter, which is attached to the lawsuit, John Berard, the state’s director of labor relations, said the plan did not need to be the subject of formal bargaining. That’s because the planned hybrid work requirement was permissible under an existing teleworking policy for state employees, he said.
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But the union doesn’t see it that way. In court filings, the union contends state leaders agreed to remote working arrangements for their employees, starting at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, that did not fall under the stipulations of the teleworking policy. Those arrangements “have become an established condition of employment which the State is not free to change” without entering formal bargaining, the union wrote in an Oct. 24 letter to the state. It demanded, in that letter, that bargaining take place.
Berard then wrote the union back Nov. 10 saying the state’s position had remained unchanged, according to court filings. That’s the same day the union filed its challenges with the state Labor Relations Board.
The legal challenges are set to play out as the state has expanded its workspace ahead of the planned return to office for many employees. On Monday, it signed leases for three new office spaces in the privately owned Pilgrim Park complex in Waterbury, which records show would be used by workers at the state Agency of Human Services.
That agency has been facing a shortage of office space at the nearby Waterbury State Office Complex, where much of its operations are based. The shortage could delay the restart of in-person work for some employees past Dec. 1, officials said previously.
The state is set to pay about $2.3 million to lease the new office space over the next five years, according to the leases.
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One Vermont company was deemed among the “most ethical” in the United States by the financial media company MarketBeat.
MarketBeat said it surveyed more than 3,000 people from different demographics last month to determine which companies they feel best align with their personal ethics and values. The results were then adjusted to reflect national population benchmarks.
The survey found that people value businesses that remain close to their founding towns, prioritize employee ownership and focus on sustainability.
The financial media company pulled together a list of 118 businesses considered to be the “most ethical” across the nation.
See how the Vermont company ranks and how it stacks up against other New England businesses.
MarketBeat’s ‘most ethical’ Vermont company
Here is the Vermont company that made MarketBeat’s “most ethical” list:
King Arthur Baking Company in Norwich, which sells flours, mixes, and baking tools, was ranked #24 in the country.
The baking company lists four environmental commitments on its website – regenerative agriculture, emissions reduction, zero waste and sustainable packaging.
King Arthur is employee-owned and is focused on “fostering an inclusive and welcoming baking community, taking meaningful steps to ensure all bakers feel they belong,” it said.
How other New England companies stack up
Here are the New England companies that made MarketBeat’s top 118 list:
- Ocean Spray – Lakeville, Massachusetts (#4 nationally)
- CVS Health – Woonsocket, Rhode Island (#5 nationally)
- L.L. Bean – Freeport, Maine (#12 nationally)
- King Arthur Baking Company – Norwich, Vermont (#24 nationally)
- Timberland – Stratham, New Hampshire (#30 nationally)
- Stonyfield Organic – Londonderry, New Hampshire (#34 nationally)
- Taza Chocolate – Somerville, Massachusetts (#56 nationally)
- New Morning Market – Woodbury, Connecticut (#65 nationally)
- Narragansett Beer – Providence, Rhode Island (#86 nationally)
- ReVision Energy – South Portland, Maine (#89 nationally)
- Allagash Brewing Company – Portland, Maine (#109 nationally)
- Cape Air – Hyannis, Massachusetts (#110 nationally)
Top 20 ‘most ethical’ companies in the US
Here are the top 20 “most ethical” companies in the U.S., from a list of 118, according to MarketBeat:
- Hershey Company – Hershey, Pennsylvania
- The Campbell’s Company – Camden, New Jersey
- Burt’s Bees – Durham, North Carolina
- Ocean Spray – Lakeville, Massachusetts
- CVS Health – Woonsocket, Rhode Island
- Publix Super Markets – Lakeland, Florida
- McCormick & Company – Hunt Valley, Maryland
- Hallmark Cards – Kansas City, Kansas
- Tillamook Creamery – Tillamook, Oregon
- Buc-ee’s – Lake Jackson, Texas
- Jack Daniel’s Distillery – Lynchburg, Tennessee
- L.L. Bean – Freeport, Maine
- Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Community Coffee Company – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Zapp’s Potato Chips – Gramercy, Louisiana
- Ozark Natural Foods – Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Clif Bar Baking Company – Twin Falls, Idaho
- Peace Coffee – Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Honolulu Coffee Company – Honolulu, Hawaii
- Milo’s Tea Company – Bessemer, Alabama
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