Caritas Christi Head Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations

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Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 28 May 2006 - 9:00 PDT

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Dr. Robert Haddad, Caritas Christi Head, allegedly hugged and kissed women inappropriately, leered at women and in some cases phoned their homes late at night. He was eventually given the choice of either resigning or being fired. He opted for the resignation, which included benefits, plus ten-months' pay - a golden handshake of $830,000.

Dr. Hadded had previously been told off for sexual harassment and ordered to submit himself to sexual harassment snesitivity training. This did not happen as further allegations from women began to surface.

According to Dr. Haddad, there was nothing inappropriate in his behaviour.

Haddad had been head of Caritas for two years, and had managed to turn finances round from a $12 million loss in 2004 to a $26 million profit in 2005. He did this after implementing a series of measures which included layoffs and budget cuts. Some say Caritas hospitals now suffer from serious staff turnover rates.

Victims of sexual abuse say the Boston Archdiocese's managing of this case runs along extraordinary and painful parallels to the way the church had tried to cope with sexual abuse and harassment cases in the past - the whole thing is shrowded in secrecy, allegations rise and punishments are minimal.

Here is a chronology of events:

1 - Cardinal Sean O'Malley initially reprimanded Habbad privately after four allegations surfaced.

2 - The Caritas board backed the reprimand and told him to seek sexual harassment sensitivity training.

3 - The Boston Globe then brought this out in the open.

4 - This brought on 10 more allegations of sexual harassment. O'Malley called another meeting of Caritas board.

5 - Dr. Habbad given ultimatum of resignation with golden handshake or being fired.

6 - Dr. Habbad opts for resignation with $830,000 pay-off.

How would events have unfolded had the Boston Globe not brought this out in the open?

Habbad, American born and of Lebanese descent, claims people misunderstood the hugs and kisses, which in his culture would have been received warmly. For an American born to say this is puzzling - he must be aware of what is and isn't acceptable in America. Phoning women in their homes late at night - accepted warmly in other cultures? Four allegations followed by another ten - a cultural misunderstanding between 14 women and a man who was born in the same country?

People who have been sexually abused by priests say that the initial decision to tell Habbad off rather than firing him is a classic case of the church trying to protect their own people.

In 2003 Cardinal Bernard Law resigned after severe criticism about the way he tried to protect priests amid accusations of sexual abuse. O'Malley was brought in to replace him. Many victims of sexual abuse by priests see the same pattern happening all over again.

Helen Drinan, a Caritas human resources executive, had urged the board to fire Haddad immediately after the four initial allegations. After he was just reprimanded and told to go on a course, she warned the board what would befall the organization when people found out that the church in Boston, once again, had opted to protect the powerful predator, rather than the powerless victim.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today