Dale Caldwell, the former New Jersey lieutenant governor who resigned last month, has been suspended from his duties as a pastor while the United Methodist Church investigates allegations against him.
Caldwell has been removed for the time being as pastor of Covenant United Methodist Church in Plainfield. Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi of the Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey Episcopal Area said that a complaint was filed based on concerns raised in a recent investigation report.
“Because we hold clergy to a high standard, we take the allegations made in the report seriously,” the bishop said in a statement shared with local media. “In order to protect the well-being of Rev. Caldwell, the congregation, and all those involved, Rev. Caldwell has been placed on suspension while the complaint is processed.”
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Caldwell’s running mate last year, announced Caldwell’s resignation during a news conference on Sept. 25, in response to sexual harassment allegations and alleged misconduct with women.
An investigation into complaints against Caldwell found that he committed sexual harassment and other “ethical lapses” with women. The investigation report states that credible evidence shows that Caldwell “made a romantic advance toward a female staffer’s friend.”
These allegations include making inappropriate comments and trying to obtain a promotion for a state employee he was dating.
“We find that the LG’s conduct, as set forth in greater detail below, constituted sexual harassment, and was derogatory or demeaning in reference to the staffer’s sex, which is a protected category,” the report states. “The LG denied making this comment, but we did not find his denial credible.”
A state trooper assigned to Caldwell at the time told investigators he did not hear the remark.
The investigation also substantiated two violations of state ethics rules, including bringing personal guests to a ticketed events “without advance ethics clearance and without payment or reimbursement.” Caldwell is said to have engaged in this manner even after he received “formal and informal guidance on the applicable ethics rules, including the following workplace conduct and ethics trainings that the LG has received since taking office.”
Moore-Koikoi said Caldwell is barred from pastoral work until the denomination’s investigation ends. The bishop’s spokesperson told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the complaint “is based on what was already under investigation.”
In her message, she asked church members to pray for Caldwell “and all those impacted by this process.” She closed with the first half of 1 Corinthians 4:5: “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.”
Caldwell, 66, has served as senior pastor of Covenant United Methodist Church. Caldwell told The Inquier that no new allegations of impropriety had been made against him and that the church body was “investigating the investigation, based on the same information.” He questioned why state investigators “disregarded” the trooper’s account.
Caldwell and his attorney have strongly denied any wrongdoing and challenged the report’s conclusions. The attorney said Caldwell repaid $175 for one event after learning repayment was required in that instance.
In a televised interview with CBS New York, Caldwell said the investigation report lacked any corroboration of the allegations.
“That’s one of the big problems I have with the lawyers that put this nonsense together,” Caldwell said. “She was mentioned 59 times throughout that report. So clearly it’s that person’s report and no one else. … There’s no corroboration. So three people in the same car said it wasn’t true. Why did the lawyers use that?”
When she released the report into Caldwell, Sherrill said it “lays out a pattern and practice of long-term concerning behavior.”
Before joining Sherrill’s ticket last year, Caldwell was president of Centenary University.
Caldwell and his attorney have said they are considering legal action. Caldwell said one option was to “sue for harassment.”
Continue reading
