"According to the complaint, Westphal claims he was first assaulted in November 2024 by William Davis, a nurse employed by Saint Thomas. He alleges that Davis showed him photographs of him wearing fishnet stockings while the two men were in the church foyer after Sunday service, before telling him that upstairs is where the action happens. As Westphal walked away from the encounter, he claims that Davis grabbed his buttocks."
"Davis allegedly repeated the behavior on multiple occasions after Sunday services, including later that December, when he followed Westphal into the men's bathroom, reached into his pants, and penetrated his anus with his finger. On Jan. 28, 2025, Westphal said he attended a gathering at the West 58th Street apartment of Reverend Mark Schultz, a Saint Thomas priest, and Schultz's husband, Erich Erving, a Lutheran printmaker."
Saint Thomas Church placed a priest on administrative leave while the Episcopal Diocese investigates a lawsuit alleging sexual assault and retaliation. The plaintiff, 31-year-old J.P. Morgan loan officer Andrew Westphal of Westchester County, alleges a series of incidents beginning in November 2024 involving church staff and clergy. The complaint describes repeated groping and an allegation of digital anal penetration by William Davis, a church-employed nurse, and an allegation that Erich Erving grabbed the plaintiff's genitals at a January 28, 2025 gathering at a choir school apartment associated with Reverend Mark Schultz. The complaint also alleges church leadership retaliated and contacted the plaintiff's employer.
Read at www.amny.com
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