TENNESSEE
Tennessean
Holly Meyer, USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee Aug. 18, 2017
A Nashville priest reminded his congregation recently that suspected child abuse within their church community should be immediately reported to civil authorities.
Prompted by news of a lawsuit filed against Brentwood Academy, the Rev. Thomas McKenzie, who leads Church of the Redeemer, sent a letter to members reiterating the church’s reporting policy.
“This is just one of those moments where it’s now in the public consciousness and so I felt like we need to remind people of how this is supposed to be done,” said McKenzie, whose church is not connected to the school.
The lawsuit accuses the prestigious Christian school of not protecting a 12-year-old boy from repeated sexual assaults by teen boys in a locker room at the school.
McKenzie emphasized that he did not know what happened at Brentwood Academy, but the allegations prompted the need to revisit the congregation’s responsibility to children in its care.
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