As the wheels continue to spin on the Lenin Vargas case, the Catholic Diocese of Jackson has also endured several other high-profile controversies since last November.

Most recently, the Diocese was reported to be on the receiving end of a civil lawsuit from its former director of finance, Arie "Aad" Mattheus de Lange, who has sued the Diocese and Bishop Joseph Kopacz, claiming he was fired in retaliation for speaking out against budget practices.

First reported by the Clarion Ledger in Jackson earlier this month, the lawsuit alleges that the reasons provided for de Lange’s termination were “false, pretextual, and did not rise to the level of grave reason.”

“Moreover, it is inexplicable how [the Diocese] could have determined there was a grave reason to terminate de Lange based upon his job performance where there was not a single performance appraisal/review,” the lawsuit states. “De Lange's discharge was retaliatory in nature based upon his reasonable objection to the unrealistic budget proposed for Catholic Charities and the potential adverse impact it posed to the diocese."

According to his LinkedIN resume, de Lange worked as the CFO for the Jackson Diocese from February 2013 until October 2018. The lawsuit alleges Kopacz fired him on Oct. 3, 2018 — roughly a month before news broke of the search warrant involving Vargas.

De Lange’s resume goes on to say he immediately found work as interim CFO of the Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, before being named as the Chief Finance Officer and Business Manager of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, in Texas.

His current place of employment serves more than 1.7 million Catholics in 146 parishes across 10 counties in Texas — a seemingly more important role than the one he was forced out of in Jackson.

The Diocese of Jackson on Oct. 16 released a statement noting that it was aware of the complaint filed in Hinds County Circuit Court on Oct. 2.

“It is the general policy of the Diocese not to comment on pending litigation and personnel matters,” the Diocese said. “However, the complaint itself provides the reasons for Mr. de Lange’s termination of employment and the Diocese stands by the following reasons.”

The statement goes on to list four different accusations against de Lange, citing the weakened financial and administrative condition of the Diocese and internal problems reflected in last year’s audit report, as well as for the upcoming year.

The Diocese says it anticipates a large deficit in the upcoming fiscal year and also said there was a “lack of leadership, communication and collaboration between the office of Finance and Temporal Affairs with diocesan leadership, including but not limited to the Bishop and the Diocesan Finance Council.”

The statement then said each of the points were provided in a letter to de Lange from Kopacz, which were attached in his initial court complaint.

“We will refrain from further comment about the complaint and will let the process be dealt with by the legal system,” the statement said.

The Starkville Daily News reached out to de Lange for comment, but has yet to receive a response.

ACKNOWLEDGING ABUSE

In August, the Diocese released a statement addressing reports of abuse by Paul West to Diocesan employees at St. Francis School in Greenwood, a school staffed by the Franciscan Order. The Diocese said it reported the allegation to the Greenwood Police Department and the Department of Human Services.

The Diocese said after additional reports were received in 2018 concerning abuse by West and Don Lucas, the Diocese reported the complaints to the Leflore County District Attorney.

West was ultimately removed from ministry by the Franciscan Order and the Diocese after the 1998 complaint and reportedly has never returned to the state.

The Diocese said Lucas died before any allegations surfaced.

Included in its statement, the Diocese claims that over the past thirty years, it has developed and implemented a “safe environment program.”

The Diocese also points out that it has publicized standards of conduct for its priests and deacons as well as diocesan employees, volunteers, and any other church personnel in positions of trust who have regular contact with children and young people.

“Beginning in 1986, the Diocese implemented a written policy and procedure regarding reporting and handling of sexual misconduct claims,” the statement said. “The policy was updated in 1994 with the addition of a Diocesan Fitness Review Committee and again in 2002 so that it would reflect the mandates of the Bishops’ Charter.”

In July, the Diocese also announced that Bishop Kopacz had removed Rev. Edward Balser after receiving allegations of abuse going back to 1953 when Balser was a seminarian.

The church said the misconduct happened for a number of years and continued after Balser’s ordination to the priesthood in 1956. Balser, who is 90, retired in March 2003 after having served 47 years in parish ministry in Flowood, Jackson, and Pearl.

What’s more, prior to the Diocese addressing the abuse reported in Greenwood and concerning Balser, a much larger announcement was made in March that included priests formerly associated with the Starkville parish.

The Starkville Daily News reported on March 29 that two priests formerly associated with St. Joseph Catholic Church in Starkville were mentioned in a list of 37 former priests and members of the clergy accused of sexual abuse released by the Catholic Diocese of Jackson.

Bishop Kopacz, the highest-ranking church official in the Diocese, said 30 of the accused clergy were the focus of sexual abuse allegations in Mississippi, while the others were accused of sexual abuse in other states.