MARYLAND
The Baltimore Sun
By Jonathan Pitts
The Baltimore Sun
The head of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland sought Thursday to clarify what he knew about Bishop Heather Elizabeth Cook’s drinking, and when he knew it.
Cook, who became the No. 2 leader in the diocese last September despite an arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2010, is accused in the December death of local cyclist Thomas Palermo.
She was indicted this week on charges including automobile manslaughter, driving under the influence and texting while driving during an accident resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton, the head of the diocese, said Thursday that he and others involved in the vetting process for Cook were aware of Cook’s 2010 arrest, but “we were not, in fact, aware that Heather was dealing with an ongoing addiction.”
“As a result,” Sutton said in a statement released by the diocese, “all of us viewed her 2010 DUI as a one-time incident, something that Heather herself would refer to during ‘meet-and-greet’ events as a difficult time in her life.”
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