Theft and Sex Alleged at Kentucky Monastery
By Andrew Wolfson
"Nothing he's talking about has anything to do with money," said Allison. "I will show how much money was taken, how it was taken and where it was spent." The monastery's lawyer, Kevin Ford, denied any connection between the embezzlement allegations and Hutchins' accusations of sexual affairs at the abbey. Abbot Elias Dietz, the monastery's spiritual leader and president of Gethsemani Farms, its mail-order business, said in an e-mail Monday that the abbey has cooperated fully with authorities and does not comment on pending criminal investigations. Hutchins' lawyer, Luke Morgan, said in an interview that the abbey knew of and approved his client's expenditures. "We have faith that the citizens of Nelson County will make an appropriate decision," said Morgan, former director of special prosecutions in the Kentucky attorney general's office. Allison and the abbey declined to say how much money is allegedly missing, but former employee Brian Ritchie and others say it may run into six figures. The scandal first surfaced Feb. 17, when Dietz wrote, in a letter addressed to the monks and employees that "We are currently dealing with a delicate issue regarding one of our employees." Dietz wrote that the abbey had recently discovered "some irregularities in its financial records" and that it appeared "someone in the employment of the abbey may be responsible." The letter, a copy of which was obtained by The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal, said Hutchins had been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation, and that Nelson County authorities had been notified. The letter said all inquiries from outsiders should be directed to Dietz, who added: "We do ask that you please join us in prayer for all who may be involved, as we seek a just resolution of this matter." Reached at his home in New Haven, Ky., about 3 miles from the monastery, Hutchins would say only that he was the victim of a "cover-up." But in an 11-page letter that has been widely circulated, Hutchins said he went to monastery leaders in January with information about "multiple sexual affairs that were permitted ... at the monastery between monks & female lay employees, between monks & outside women" and between a lay supervisor and an employee under his supervision. The letter said women who "went along" were given raises, while those who "didn't play the game" were demoted. The letter mentions only one monk by name but said "sexist comments and sexual banter" were common between monks and female employees. Hutchins said he videotaped the supervisor and his employee "to protect myself." He said that, with Dietz out of the country, he reported his information on Jan. 18 to the three monks on the abbey's finance committee and later provided the same information to Ford and to the abbey's second-ranking monk, Prior Michael Casagram. Hutchins said Casagram responded by saying, "this whole thing has been blown out of proportion." Hutchins said he eventually spoke to Dietz, and that on Feb. 17, Dietz told him he was being placed on paid leave pending the investigation of "irregularities in the accounting office." Hutchins said he was never given an opportunity to respond. "It became clear to me that the Abbey of Gethsemani was willing to take whatever means necessary to preserve their public perception," he said in the letter. Dietz, Casagram and the supervisor did not respond to requests for comment on Hutchins' accusations. Settled in 1848 by Trappist monks from France, the abbey originally supported itself through farming but now pays for most of its budget through the sale of homemade fudge, cheese and fruitcake, as well as contributions from visitors, who can attend services and stay overnight on retreats. Perhaps its most famous resident was Thomas Merton, the monk and author who wrote The Seven Storey Mountain, New Seeds of Contemplation and Zen and the Birds of Appetite. Trappist monks take vows of chastity, poverty, obedience and stability — meaning they will stay at the abbey. The monks are allowed to talk during the day, but they observe silence at meals and in their rooms. Their day begins at 3:15 a.m. with reading and personal prayer, and they retire after the day's final prayer at 7:30 p.m. Dietz and Ford said the monastery will survive the alleged embezzlement. "The abbey has been around for a long time," Ford said, "and it will be around for a long time to come." The Abbey of Gethsemani Order: The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, also known as Trappists Founded: 1848 Address: 3642 Monks Road, Trappist, Ky.
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