BishopAccountability.org
	Western New York: New Episcopal Bishop Spun Role As Victim in Walkabout over Berkeley/yale Scandal By Mary Ann Mueller and David W. Virtue Virtue Online December 5, 2010 http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=13609 The Rev. R. William Franklin, who had been a priest for just five years in a Philadelphia parish before being elected Bishop of Western New York was forced to resign in December of 2001 after a Yale-initiated audit showed he had misappropriated Berkeley funds. Franklin, now 63, was Dean of Berkeley Divinity School, an Episcopal seminary affiliated with Yale Divinity School at that time. He is presently senior associate priest at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. He was recently elected the 11th bishop of the Diocese of Western New York on the seventh ballot. He edged out the Rev. Barbara J. Price, rector of St. Peter's Church in Amherst and the only local candidate in the four-person race in a tally in St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral. If he is confirmed he is scheduled for consecration on April 30, 2011, in the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts. In 2001 The "Hartford Courant" outlined the alleged misappropriation by Franklin, citing a confidential audit that showed Franklin mismanaged tens of thousands of dollars, using some of the funds to pay for his daughter's Harvard Medical School education and personal expenses including a trip to Colorado as well as dry cleaning. A report said that $112,912 was missing from Berkeley's scholarship fund. The investigation also found that loans had been made to staff members, that there was no oversight of use of the school's credit card, and that paycheck advances made by the school have yet to be repaid. Following the audit, the University said it would no longer allow Berkeley to build a chapel on the campus of the Yale Divinity School. Originally Yale had given permission for Berkeley to build a new chapel on the main Yale campus. "We decided that given the circumstances, we decided that maybe this was not a good idea," a Yale administrative source said at that time. Franklin resigned. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal had also launched an investigation into Berkeley's use of charitable friends, the Courant reported. When his name came up as a candidate for bishop of Western New York, Franklin issued a convoluted one page statement concerning his time as Dean of Berkeley where he skirted everything about his alleged misappropriation of funds and admitted nothing. In his resume/letter, questions that the diocese asked said only that conflict had developed between Berkeley and Yale over long-standing financial procedures. He mentioned nothing about alleged financial improprieties which forced him to resign. Franklin said he was "misunderstood." He wrote, "Conflict developed between Berkeley and Yale over long-standing financial procedures and the scope of this project which would have made Berkeley too strong a partner, with its own chapel on the grounds of the YDS campus. Yale proceeded to rewrite its affiliation agreement with Berkeley diminishing its independence and canceled plans for the Episcopal chapel. In the midst of these difficult circumstances, in which both my integrity and work came under attack by the Yale administration, I agreed that it would be best for the future of Berkeley at Yale to be led by a dean with a new vision for the different relationship on which Yale now insisted." Franklin said he saw the Berkeley/Yale "conflict" in his life like the fall of the Twin Towers and as a "transforming experience." Connecticut media had another version of the story. Newspaper headlines screamed: Dean resigns after audit shows financial irregularities. Following his resignation, he accepted New York Bishop Mark Sisk's offer to direct the bishop's projects on the response of the Church to September 11 and to rebuild university chaplaincies. Yale Divinity school emeritus professor Rowan Greer said Yale President Richard Levin withdrew an offer for the Berkeley school to move into new Yale Divinity School buildings, according to the Courant. "Franklin raised three million dollars for those buildings, and that will now all have to be returned," Greer said at that time. That summer, Yale officials called for an audit of the Berkeley funds, and the audit revealed practices that were not in line with University policies. Greer said that in September there was a meeting at which Levin upbraided the school and the dean for their financial practices. "Basically, there was an attempt on part of the central administration to remove the dean of Berkeley," Greer said. Berkeley hired Fred Borsch former Bishop of Los Angeles (1988 - 2002) after Franklin resigned. The Attorney General's office announced in October 2002 that Dean Franklin had to repay $6,092 to Berkeley with interest. VOL reporter Mary Ann Mueller contacted Gustav Spohn, Director of Communications and Publications at Yale Divinity School, who told her that two payments were made: On 10/16/02 $350.00 was paid towards the interest and on 10/31/02 $6,250.00 was paid by Franklin towards the loan principal for a total of $6,600.00. The chair of the Western New York Search Committee, Catherine Way told VOL reporter Mary Ann Mueller that Franklin did nothing wrong. "Fr. Franklin was completely exonerated. He did nothing wrong. In fact, he is now Dean Emeritus of Berkeley School of Divinity. And they have started an endowment fund in his name to fund the position of the dean." At no time, however, did Franklin admit in the walkabout to misappropriating funds or that he had been investigated by the Connecticut Attorney General's office. Gustav Spohn, Director of Communications and Publications at Yale Divinity School, said that while Franklin is indeed "dean emeritus" of Berkeley Divinity School, no endowment has been created in his name, although some gifts have been received in his honor. His failure to mention his past failure and apparent memory lapse is strangely reminiscent of PA Bishop Charles E. Bennison who neglected to mention in his walkabout that he had covered up his brother's sexual abuse of a minor. Reached by phone, Franklin told VOL, "I don't want to comment on this. The search committee in Western NY thoroughly looked into everything that happened in 2001 and they investigated this." Franklin said the Search Committee talked to many people about all of these issues and had gone into first and last. "They went into extraordinary detail and found nothing wrong." In a surreal address following his election, Franklin said he accepted his election as the 11th bishop with "the greatest humility". "I wanted to make so clear to you in the walkabouts earlier this month, I have prayed every day the prayer at an ordination of a bishop that I might be worthy to serve you as an effective example in word and action, in love and patience, and in holiness of life." He said he was honored and humbled by the election and proclaimed an abiding love for the Western New York region, where his wife's parents have lived since 1985. The Rev. Virginia Carr, deacon in charge at St. Peter's Westfield, said she voted for the 63-year old Franklin in part because he had an impressive worldwide perspective to bring to the Buffalo area and because he would "appeal to the 20-to 30-year-olds. That's really the age group we need to draw in." Franklin's election must first be confirmed by a vote of bishops and Diocesan Standing Committees from across the Episcopal Church.
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