The National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) has officially responded to Ex-Gay Watch on the matter of Arthur Abba Goldberg, the former NARTH Executive Secretary.
Goldberg, who is co-founder and co-director of Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH), was revealed last month to have been jailed and fined in 1989 for his part in a multimillion-dollar business fraud.
Goldberg responded to the reports by shifting the blame, and was duly followed by NARTH President Julie Harren-Hamilton, who attacked the gay media and bloggers for exposing Goldberg’s criminal past.
Last week, XGW reported that Goldberg was no longer listed as Executive Secretary of NARTH. Now NARTH Vice-President of Operations David C Pruden has spoken on the record about the situation.
In a statement made to XGW, Pruden revealed that NARTH knew nothing of Arthur Abba Goldberg’s conviction for felony prior to last month’s investigative report. He also confirmed that Goldberg had resigned from the board of NARTH. The full statement reads:
In the past two weeks incidents that took place more than twenty years ago in the career and life of Arthur Goldberg first came to our attention. He has never taken the members of the NARTH Board into his confidence concerning these events and this information came as a complete shock to NARTH members and to our organization.
After years of dedicated service to NARTH Mr. Goldberg has announced his resignation from his NARTH Board position. With his resignation this now becomes a personal matter and all future questions or concerns should be directed to Mr. Goldberg. He has assured us that he plans to make a public statement on his own web site and since none of the issues concerning his past were in any way associated with NARTH, and in fact preceeded the founding of NARTH, we would feel it inappropriate to make further comments. We wish for Arthur and his family the very best at this difficult time.
This confirms what seemed evident all along: Arthur Abba Goldberg deliberately concealed his criminal past.
Despite the statement that this is now a “personal matter” for Arthur Goldberg, however, NARTH still has some questions of its own to answer. The overwhelming question is how Goldberg was able to such an entrusted position at NARTH without disclosing his conviction for fraud. Does NARTH not have safeguards in place? Does NARTH not require such disclosures? As a professional organization, does it not independently confirm these things before appointing someone to such a position?
Even if no such disclosure is required (which would be remarkable), how is it that Goldberg’s criminal history went undetected, when even before last month’s exposé a simple Google search for “Arthur Abba Goldberg” would have immediately turned up dozens of official documents and newspaper reports from the time of his conviction? Pruden earlier told us that it was common knowledge at NARTH that Goldberg’s middle name was Abba – yet no one seems to have made the connection.
Goldberg may still have a lot to explain – but NARTH must also explain what appears to be astonishing negligence.
NARTH has never been known as an organization that is committed to fact checking.
I’m not entirely convinced that NARTH need explain anything. For whatever reason, NARTH apparently does not require full disclosure from its members or officers. It’s not clear to me that this particular organization needs to either, since NARTH is, more or less, a political lobby and a think tank. It’s reasonable to assume that initial membership membership requires only assent to NARTH’s psychological view of homosexuality, irrespective of preferred methodology or other philosophical considerations and that these only become important when, in an individual case, they become embarrassing.
NARTH allows ‘exgays’ to serve on it’s board, so why not? Sin is sin after all.
(There are states in this country where asking an undercover police officer to have certain kinds of sex with you will result in a felony charge)
“Does NARTH not have safeguards in place?”
Are you KIDDING me? After Burger and Schoenewolf?
he he
We know from David Pruden’s first comments that Goldberg’s middle name was Abba. Even if no one in NARTH from the North East remembered such a major news story, a simple Google search with the middle name in place would have given them a NYT story and the disbarment records — perhaps more. Those would have stood out then, though now there is a flood of links to reporting of the current revelation.
Though I can’t find the reference, I’m fairly sure that Goldberg used to be Secretary Treasurer or similar title. Even with their poor record on such things, one would expect them to check into Goldberg’s record to some extent before giving him financial responsibilities.
Remember that there are people out there, some reading XGW, who still think NARTH is a professional organization with high standards. To just pass this latest incident off as “well what do you expect” is really missing the boat I think. These are reasonable questions derived from the facts. Those still unaware of the status over there need to see them taken seriously.
Goldberg was the ‘Executive Secretary’ — the earliest on-site ref is an update of 29 June 2004. David Pruden was the treasurer during the period (until they started calling him VP of Operations).
Goldberg was always referred to as “Arthur A. Goldberg, J.D.” NARTH could have had the full history of Goldberg within minutes of anyone searching.
But of course anyone at NARTH could also know that “more than twenty years ago” their entire outlook on homosexuality was at odds with the facts.
NARTH people researched Goldberg about as deeply as they research homosexuality.
Thanks for this information and your work. What I don’t understand is how people even know of NARTH, and yet don’t seem to know of all the glbt websites, publications, etc that would tell them of its unscientific and thus false information.
Billy– perhaps becuase they do not wish to know anything that contradicts what they believe.
Gravity is such a bitch when you want to fly.