Archdiocese Official Resigns in Wake of Fugee Scandal

An official overseeing former Wyckoff pastor Michael Fugee will step down following allegations that the priest broke an agreement not to work with children after being accused of sexual misconduct, northjersey.com reported.

Archbishop John Meyers told parishioners in a letter Friday that John E. Doran will step down as vicar general of the archdiocese, as part of a broader effort to protect children.

"Both Monsignor Doran and I felt that the archdiocese would be best served by his stepping down," wrote Meyers, according to the Record.

Doran had signed on to an agreement between Fugee and prosecutors in 2007 that the accused pastor would cease work with children, after a conviction on charges of sexual misconduct for allegedly groping a Wyckoff teenager was overtuned due to judicial error.

Controversy flared up following reports earlier this month that Fugee had continued to hear confessions from minors and accompany youth retreats, and prominent politicians have called for resignations at the archdiocese.

Fugee was arrested and charged on Monday with violating the agreement. Prosecutors say that he heard confessions from seven minors around the state, in violation of the judicial order.

Fugee's lawyer contends that all of his interactions with minors since the agreement have been properly supervised, and that the priest is innocent of wrongdoing.