Army Clears Chaplain of Career-Ending Charges Over Lesbian Marriage Retreat Controversy

The U.S. Army has cleared a chaplain and his assistant of “dereliction of duty” charges for rescheduling a marriage retreat because of the late addition of a same-sex couple.On Friday, the Army announced that it has tossed out all recommended charges against Chaplain Scott Squires and Chaplain Assistant Staff Sgt. Kacie Griffin serving at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, who faced career-threatening discipline because Squires followed the Southern Baptist Convention’s guidelines on marriage.”I look forward to being able to focus on continuing my career serving my fellow soldiers,” Squires said in a statement Friday.Army Chaplain Scott Squires. As previously reported, the heart of the issue revolves around Squires’ response to a lesbian soldier who wanted to participate in an Army-sponsored marriage retreat that Squires was conducting on Feb. 9–11 of this year.Squires was accused of initially telling the soldier that she could not participate because his certification with the North American Mission Board prevented chaplains from participating in marriage retreats with same-sex couples. He also told her that she would be informed of the next time another retreat is available.

Source: Army Clears Chaplain of Career-Ending Charges Over Lesbian Marriage Retreat Controversy