March 31, 2023
We – the Cameron House management and board – apologize for the pain, suffering and trauma caused from approximately 2008-2017, by a volunteer/paid staff in the Youth Ministries’ Friday Night Club program due to inappropriate sexual behavior, misogyny, bullying, and toxic masculinity. We apologize for the missteps, the inaction when action was called for and failure to act.
Cameron House failed to address these concerns directly and effectively, failed to communicate, and failed to create a respectful and safe place. We understand how this left survivors, as well as the Cameron House community feeling isolated, traumatized, unsupported, and vulnerable. We are deeply sorry for failing you and losing your trust.
We have taken steps to address many of the concerns raised by primary survivors and the Cameron House community. Dr. Carolee Tran, PhD, a licensed psychologist with over 25 years of experience in trauma and abuse was hired. She is an independent practitioner and is not employed at Cameron House. Dr. Tran has met with several primary survivors and submitted a report which includes quotes of their experiences. View report. She has also made many recommendations including individual and group therapy which are being implemented.
We also hired Keith Black, founder and Principal at Employment Practices Outsourcing, a national consultancy focused on conducting workplace investigations. He assessed how Cameron House’s senior management team and board responded to the allegations in 2017. Mr. Black interviewed various past and present senior managers, as well as key staff and board members. Primary survivors were not interviewed as the review focused on the process of the initial investigation, not the investigation itself. Cameron House is committed to implementing all of Mr. Black’s recommendations. View report. View Appendix.
Over the past two years, Cameron House implemented many actions to build a safer community. View Actions. However, as we have painfully discovered, addressing these issues is not merely about putting policies in place or educating through training. We will be reviewing our programs to create a new culture that is intolerant of disrespectful words, behaviors and actions; we understand that we must sow the seeds of responsibility and accountability at every level of our organization: management, staff, participants, clients, volunteers and board. We will also be examining how we recruit, train, set clearer boundaries and expectations, and monitor and evaluate performance.
If you have any questions regarding any of this information, please contact Liane Wong, Chair of the Oversight Committee of the Board of Directors, lwong@cameronhouse.org.
There may be others who were directly impacted by inappropriate behavior but for personal reasons have not come forward yet. If you know of anyone who would benefit from assistance, please encourage them to contact Liane Wong, lwong@cameronhouse.org.
We are grateful for the survivors’ grace in the face of inexcusable behaviors and actions, in their courage for coming forward and expressing their needs for support, and their demands for organizational accountability and transparency.
Sincerely,
Michael Lee Liane Wong
Executive Director Board of Directors, Oversight Committee, Chair