not think it was my prerogative to do so on my own" (because the girl's parents had not chosen to report the matter to the police). The girl's mother, June Alexis, disputed this account, based on a 1978 letter from Bennison that she says indicate that he knew that their daughter was being abused by his brother, but did not tell them. John's ex-wife, Margaret Thompson, produced another letter from 1979 in which Charles Bennison asked her not to visit the parish because of the potential for "a public scandal here which, I believe, could cost me my job." John's victim has stated that "she and John were twice interrupted during sex by Charles Bennison's arrival at his brother's apartment" (although it is unclear whether she alleges that Bishop Bennison saw them in a compromising situation). At the annual diocesan convention on November 11, 2006, Bennison said: "Reading the statements from last weekend's sessions reminded me that it was probably the senior warden, not the girl's mother, who in 1975 reported John's abuse, after which I immediately told him to leave the parish, and that in order to maintain the confidentiality of both John and the girl, I did not tell the parents, who nonetheless confronted me when they had found out four years later. Until reading the statements I had never before known that John's destructive behavior did not stop, but rather increased, in the parish to which he went after leaving my parish. That I could have prevented that from happening had I known to act differently is extremely grievous to me. My efforts to maintain confidentiality and prevent scandal were very misguided." He acknowledged a "failure in the 1970s to act more assertively with regard to my brother, his victims, and the church," but also reassured people that the church had since established reporting and disciplinary procedures so that, "What happened 30 years ago would not happen today." Outside the convention, protesters renewed calls for Bennison's resignation. Inside, a motion to hold him accountable narrowly failed. Instead, a study of the impact of sexual abuse by clergy was authorized almost unanimously. Unlike the previous year, the convention was able to adopt a $3.45 million program budget. Presentment of charges and inhibition from ordained ministry On October 28, 2007, a judicial committee of the Episcopal Church issued a presentment of charges against Bennison. The two charges contained in