BishopAccountability.org
	United Pastor Facing Lawsuit By Michael Peeling Standard-Freeholder November 14, 2008 http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1296259 A $1-million lawsuit against a "hero" United Church pastor -based on incidents at a Dundas County-based outreach centre for the needy - has inspired another alleged victim to come forward. Forty-five-year-old Carleton University English professor Collett Tracey recently filed a $1.5-million lawsuit against Rev. Allen Tysick for allegedly sexually abusing her in the late 1970s when she was a member of his youth group at Woodroffe United Church in Ottawa. Tracey said she was inspired to speak up about her alleged abuse at the hands of Tysick, an Ottawa native now living in British Columbia, when she read about the suit filed by Jean Perkins last year. "I finally knew then I wasn't alone," Collett said. "There were others and I knew it wasn't my fault." Perkins began volunteering at the House of Lazarus Matilda Resource Centre Inc., an outreach ministry of the United Church based in the North Dundas village of Mountain, in 1990 after Tysick, the executive director of the centre, made a request for help at the Pendleton United Church. With Tysick's encouragement, Perkins started volunteering often at the centre and taking counsel with Tysick. She confided to the pastor about being abused as a child and as an adult, as well as suffering a mental breakdown when her husband divorced her and she lost custody of their two children. During the counselling sessions Tysick allegedly talked Perkins into letting him fondle her breasts while lying on top of her and later masturbating in front of her. Allegedly she performed fellatio on him as well. The pastor allegedly used his power to take over Perkins' psychological counselling from a doctor and get her a job as an administrative assistant at the House of Lazarus Matilda Resource Centre, after which his abuse of her escalated to incidents in her home and in his office. Perkins fell into a clinical depression when Tysick married another parishioner and denied any relationship with her. She resigned from the centre and was put on medication to help her cope. According to a statement of claims filed in March 2007 by lawyer Joseph Griffiths, who represents both Perkins and Tracey, "Reverend Tysick committed sexual acts by use of his position of power, authority and trust. In particular, the defendant Tysick had control of Jean in various areas of her life, including acting as her employer, her counsellor, and her minister at the church. Through these various roles, Jean relied on him for both spiritual and mental assistance and was compliant to any of his demands." Tysick, who is in his early 60s, made a Time Magazine list of Canadian heroes in 2006 for his work with the poor. Both women are suing the United Church and House of Lazarus Matilda Resource Centre for damages as well. Griffiths said neither woman is filing complaints with the police because the evidence available might not meet the burden of proof for criminal wrongdoing. He is currently in the process of filing an amended statement of claims on Perkins' behalf.
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