Anglican Diocese of Fredericton and St. Stephen Church Deny Liability in Woman’s Lawsuit Over Minister’s Alleged Box-Cutter Attack

Cynthia Mae Moore, 60, has sued the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton, the Anglican parish of Christ Church in St. Stephen and Rev. William Morton, who she says was her minister. Moore alleges that Morton assaulted her with a box cutter and threatened to “skin her alive.” The diocese and the parish deny responsibility for Morton’s actions and have filed a cross-claim against him. Moore says she met Morton in January 2008 through Christ Church.

In a statement of defence and cross-claim filed with the Court of Queen’s Bench on March 21, the Diocesan Synod of Fredericton and the Corporation of the Anglican Parish of St. Stephen argue that if Morton committed the acts alleged, they were “his independent acts for which he is solely responsible both in fact and in law.” They say their relationship with Morton was “ecclesiastical,” not one of employment or agency, and that if he was an employee or agent, the alleged actions “were contrary to his ministerial duties or responsibilities.” On that basis, they say they are not vicariously liable for the alleged actions or the damages Moore seeks. They also ask that her lawsuit be dismissed and refer to the provincial Limitation of Actions Act, which addresses, among other things, the time period for filing claims.

Moore discontinued her claim against the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, the legal entity that operates the Anglican Church of Canada, on March 7, court records show. Morton was convicted in 2016 of two counts of assault with a weapon and received a 15-month conditional sentence, a jail term that can be served in the community if the offender follows court-imposed conditions.

Moore, who now lives in New Maryland, claims she had a nearly four-year extramarital affair with Morton. She alleges that on Nov. 24, 2015, at his St. Stephen home, he threatened to “skin her alive” and scraped her breasts with a box cutter. In her amended statement of claim, filed in Saint John on Dec. 1, 2017, she alleges that hours later Morton came to her home and tried to kill her. The document states that he “succeeded in cutting her breasts and abdomen with a box cutter.” According to the statement of claim, Morton attacked her again on Dec. 8, 2015, and “attempted to kill her with a knife to her throat.”

Moore’s claim refers collectively to the defendants as the defendant church. It says the church “acted negligently as it was or ought to have been aware of … Morton’s alcohol abuse and it took no steps to oversee or supervise … Morton in his role as a clergyman.” She accuses the church of breaching its duty of care to prevent her abuse, and she says that as a result she “suffered and continues to suffer severe damages,” including post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts. Accountability for those entrusted with responsibility is at the centre of that allegation (Luke 12:48).

Moore has been unable to work, and her faith and trust in the Anglican Church “have been damaged,” according to the statement of claim. The diocese and parish respond that they “did not know, nor ought to have known, that Morton presented a danger to the plaintiff (which is not admitted)” and that they “at all times took all reasonable steps regarding training and supervision” of Morton. They say they acted in a “reasonable and prudent manner” and did not cause or contribute to any alleged injury, loss or damages. They further claim that any injury or condition Moore suffered pre-existed the incident or was caused by events unrelated to the alleged incidents that occurred while Morton was a minister of the defendant church.

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