THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 13, 1994 TAG: 9408130253
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARC DAVIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
A Roman Catholic priest who worked at an Episcopal AIDS ministry says he was fired earlier this year because he had cancer. He is suing the Episcopal diocese for $3 million.
The Rev. Thomas J. Reardon, 52, was a pastoral counselor at Operation Amen for nine months before being fired in March.
He claims that the ministry's chairman ``made it very clear'' in a meeting that he was being fired ``because he was `sick.' ''
Reardon was hired at the Norfolk-based ministry in June 1993, was diagnosed with colo-rectal cancer in October, had surgery in November and was fired in March, according to the lawsuit.
The priest filed his lawsuit last week in Circuit Court. It accuses the diocese of wrongful termination, intentional infliction of emotional distress and discrimination under the Virginians with Disabilities Act.
``He regrets it had to come to this,'' said Reardon's attorney, Thomas C. Wagner of Virginia Beach. ``He is not looking for publicity. He wants this to be handled as quietly as possible.
``He's a little embarrassed by it. He doesn't relish the thought of suing the church.''
Reardon declined to comment.
At the diocese, Chancellor David Dashiell denied the priest's allegations. He said Reardon was fired because of ``nonperformance of duties,'' not because of his health.
``We believe he was not counseling very many patients,'' Dashiell said. ``We just felt his performance was poor.'' He declined to offer details.
In his lawsuit, Reardon said his job performance ``was never questioned or criticized in any manner.''
Today, nine months after his surgery, Reardon is in good health, is not undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy and is looking for a new job, his attorney said.
Reardon joined Operation Amen after 10 years with Norfolk's community diversion program, where he counseled young men convicted of crimes. The priest was reluctant to leave his 10-year ministry with the city, the lawsuit states, but did so after a personal plea from Bishop Frank H. Vest on Holy Saturday morning in 1993.
``In doing so,'' the lawsuit says, ``Father Reardon sacrificed potential pension and retirement benefits . . . subordinating his own personal best interests and heeding the call by Bishop Vest.''
Reardon continued counseling AIDS patients while he was undergoing treatment for cancer and ``was complimented by the diocese on the manner in which he was able to continue his work despite his illness,'' the lawsuit says.
Reardon's lawsuit says the diocese's actions were ``outrageous and intolerable, offending generally accepted standards of decency and morality.''
A lawsuit represents only one side of a dispute. The diocese has three weeks in which to file its response.
KEYWORDS: LAWSUIT PRIEST CANCER by CNB