(RNS) — A second woman has come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against the leader of the Anglican Church in North America after an Oct. 23 report in The Washington Post in which a former church employee detailed his alleged attempt to kiss her against her will in his office.
According to a new report from the Post, the second complaint came from a woman, identified only as Jane Doe, who accused Archbishop Steve Wood of “pressuring me to be in situations I was uncomfortable with, even after I expressed my discomfort, pressuring me to be in a private space with him, one-on-one, to drink alcohol with him, despite me saying it was inappropriate and that I was uncomfortable.”
Wood, a bishop in South Carolina, was elected last year to lead the ACNA, a small denomination that began in 2009 as a breakaway group of congregations that objected to the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada’s acceptance of openly LGBTQ+ clergy.
He also faces allegations from several priests of bullying and plagiarism. He has denied all but the most recent allegations, which he declined to comment on, and is submitting to a church process for vetting the claims.
Religion News Service was unable to reach the woman, who declined an interview request from the Post and has reportedly said she will cooperate with a church investigation if she can remain anonymous. In response to the new allegations, an ACNA spokesperson said, “In order to preserve the int …