Anne Dyer is scheduled to officiate over a service to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Scottish Episcopal Church’s first ordination of women priests on 17 December. She is also reported to have been officiating at an SEC church.
Dyer has been allowed to return irrespective of the SEC’s senior lawyer finding that there was evidence that she had bullied, harassed and discriminated against a disabled adult and bullied two female ordinands (trainee priests), forcing them out of the church before they could be ordained.
The resultant disciplinary process against Dyer was terminated before the planned disciplinary tribunal could be held.
The Diocese has made no announcement to confirm that Dyer has returned to work. It is rumoured that it may be attempting to reintroduce Dyer to her post by stealth to diffuse widespread public concern and anger over her return.
The Diocesan trustees are legally responsible for the Diocese under charity law. They report to the charity regulator that Dyer is their employee.
However, they have failed to prevent a reported bully and discriminator from returning to a position of power over vulnerable people in the Diocese, including the disabled adult the SEC’s lawyer found there was enough evidence to convict Dyer of having discriminated against.
The trustees are reported to have repeatedly failed to answer questions about how Dyer’s return is compatible with the church’s own safeguarding rules and practices.
The trustees have failed to prevent a reported bully and discriminator from returning to work in their Diocese.
A member of the Diocese said: “Society has learnt so many lessons about preventing discrimination and looking after people. Abuse and discrimination have no place in any workplace, let alone the church. Trustees have legal duties to prevent discrimination.
“Is the trustee group so dysfunctional that it is unable to work together to fulfil its obligations and do the right thing?”