On Thursday, the New York Times published a story that seemed to be a straightforward case of a woman wronged: The Rev. Amy Butler, a prominent progressive pastor in New York, had been let go from her position at the Riverside Church abruptly after five years on the job. Supporters told the Times that the dismissal came after Butler accused a member of the church's governing council of leaving her inappropriate gifts (including a T-shirt reading "Sweet Bitch") and making suggestive comments to her and other female ministers. "There is absolutely no doubt that sexism played a role," one supporter told the Times.
Although Butler didn't respond to requests for comment from the Times, her story seemed to be a powerful example of the phenomenon of female pastors being harassed and denigrated on the job, often by their own parishioners. Online, female clergy across the country started posting their own stories of harassment and workplace creepiness using the hashtag #WeAreAmy.
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