For Immediate Release: July 1, 2019
Catholic Diocese of Richmond Implements Independent, Third-Party Ethics Hotline
Reporting Hotline Operational July 1
Enriching the Catholic Diocese of Richmond’s commitment to Gospel-centered behavior for carrying out the mission of the Church and to ensure good stewardship of diocesan resources, Bishop Barry C. Knestout, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, has announced the implementation of EthicsPoint, an independent, third-party platform for reporting suspected misconduct within the diocese.
“The Diocese of Richmond has already established effective standards for expectations of responsible and professional employee conduct in our Code of Conduct,” said Bishop Knestout. “But, we must always be willing to adapt and improve ourselves when necessary.”
Effective July 1, the EthicsPoint hotline provides a completely confidential platform that allows any employee, parishioner, clergy, volunteer or other interested party of the diocese to anonymously submit concerns about suspected unethical behavior, misuse of resources or financial misconduct.
Reports can be made online or by phone. Phone reports are accepted in multiple languages. The reporting number and a link to the EthicsPoint website, where online reports will be submitted, can be found on the Diocese of Richmond’s homepage.
EthicsPoint will monitor reports and communicate the information to the diocese. The diocese will review reports on a case-by-case basis, responding and resolving as appropriate.
Bishop Knestout released a video message on the diocesan website saying, “It is my hope that by adding this additional layer of safeguards against inappropriate activity, you will feel you have the freedom to report administrative, financial and human resource concerns without fear.”
The ethics hotline is NOT intended to receive information about sexual abuse allegations. Abuse allegations should be reported directly to local law enforcement, including Child Protective Services (CPS) at 1-800-552-7096 and by calling the Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Hotline at 1-833-454-9064. Once reported to the civil authorities, individuals are also encouraged to contact the diocesan Victim Assistance Reporting (VAC) number at 1-877-887-9603 or email [email protected] to report sexual abuse.
EthicsPoint is used by 13,000 businesses worldwide, including the Archdioceses of Baltimore, New York, Seattle, Washington and Philadelphia.
To find out more about EthicsPoint and to view Bishop Knestout’s video message, frequently asked questions and other resources, visit www.richmonddiocese.org.
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