Anglican Watch

Update: Dirtbag Dan McClain lands job with Reynoldsburg School System, tries to game the court

Daniel McClain

Just in case there was any doubt that Episcopal priest Dan McClain is a scumbag, recent court filings will remove any questions on that score.

Per a recent filing by Patricia Duff, attorney for Dan’s wife Kate, Dan McClain has accepted a teaching job within the Reynoldsburg, OH city schools.

To be direct, teachers, administrators, and parents with the school district will come to regret the decision to hire McClain.

In our experience, Dan is sneaky, manipulative, emotionally abusive, and a narcissist. Yes, he can turn on the slimy charm, but he has zero integrity, and he causes a s**t-ton of problems via his manipulative conduct.

How can we say that?

Duff’s pleadings provide a good example.

Specifically, Dan McClain was offered the teaching job on July 2, 2024, but he didn’t accept until July 25, 2024.

Why is that significant? Don’t people often wait to accept a job?

The answer is found in Dan McClain’s earlier filings with the Dayton courts, in which he sought a reduction in his already laughably paltry support for his wife and children, which we believe is around $900 a month. The basis for this request was that he is no longer employed by St. Paul’s.

And keep in mind—he is still married to Kate, and these are his biological children.

Moreover, Dan McClain requested the reduction in support without filing an affidavit about his income and apparently without notifying the Court about his job offer from Reynoldsburg.

In other words, he was trying to pull a fast one on the Court.

Additional issues with Dan McClain’s conduct:

  • Speaking of, sources outside the family say that Dan is hard at work, trying to alienate the children from Kate. While we have not been able to verify these claims independently, we have heard them from various credible sources.
  • As we previously reported, even as Dan is trying to reduce his support, he has money for another tattoo, expensive purchases at an area bike shop and elsewhere, and more. Additionally, the bike shop purchases appear intended to influence the children to choose to live with Dan.
  • Dan has previously violated the Court’s restraining order against him.
  • We have seen multiple instances of Dan McClain playing fast and loose with the Court, including ignoring Court orders.
  • Dan’s sleazy ways are nothing new. Indeed, even while in seminary there were others with profound concerns about Dan’s manipulative conduct and demeanor.

In other words, as litigation continues, Dan McClain’s conduct confirms our original conclusions about him, which are that he is a narcissist and likely a sociopath. As such, he is unsuited to be a priest or a teacher.

We also hope that the Court will take into account Dan McClain’s bad faith/nefarious conduct as it prepares to issue final orders in the divorce litigation; sanctions against Dan are appropriate.

And we urge the Reynoldsburg schools to keep a close eye on Dan—he is not someone who should be around children.

A copy of Duff’s pleading is included below.

13 comments

  1. McClain’s personal life (infidelity) may disqualify him as clergy, but should we attack him for entering teaching?

    I’m not sure how the two are connected.

    Maybe i’m missing something.

    1. Unfortunately, Dan McClain’s adultery is only the tip of the iceberg.

      Between his narcissism, Machiavellianism, repeated violation of court orders (including the restraining order), emotional abuse, efforts to avoid paying support for his wife and children, alleged misuse of church funds, and using his children as pawns in his divorce, it’s safe to say that Dan McClain will be problematic in any role that involves working with others.

  2. All the articles on McClain are opinions or conclusions formed and based on incomplete information. They often read like character assassination tinged with calumny and detraction. All are sins. McClain has never been convicted of a civil crime or incarcerated. He certainly had to pass a background check to teach. He needs work to support his children. Looks like he is moving on with his life. Why can’t others move on and let the civil court sort out the facts of the impending McClain divorce? Calling McClain pejoratives violates the baptismal covenant Anglican Watche cites. God bless. You are in my prayers.

    1. It’s called resisting injustice and oppression, and Dan’s misconduct continues to this day. So, does the word “enabler” mean anything to you?

      Moreover:

      • Being convicted of criminal activity is not a prerequisite for conduct to be illegal or unethical, and that includes alleged misuse of church funds, emotional abuse, and his ongoing efforts to avoid paying support for his children. So no, he is not moving on with his life, and your prayers should start with praying for those Dan McClain has hurt.
      • How do you square even the most basic notions of love or Christianity with Dan McClain’s ongoing efforts to avoid paying support for his children, even as he spends money for tattoos, his girlfriend, and luxury recreational items? What kind of parent tries repeatedly to avoid providing for his children?
      • Speaking of incomplete information, you should start by reading the court pleadings from both parties, then interview more than 40 people, as we did. Then you will start to have complete information, and you will be competent to speak to these issues.
      • As for a background check, there are plenty of abusers who pass background checks all the time, so that is a red herring. Indeed, Dan passed one to become a priest, including a psych evaluation, but that does not negate his conduct as an Episcopal priest.
      • Nor do your comments reflect Christian notions of forgiveness. The appropriate next step is for Dan McClain to repent. Then, he must make restitution and change his conduct. Dan has done nothing of the sort.
      • Your approach minimizes the situation by focusing on the divorce, which is just one of myriad problems. Moreover, you attempt to whitewash the situation with cheap grace. So pray all you want, but until we see changes to Dan McClain’s conduct, we will continue to call for accountability. And we reiterate: Dan should not be teaching.

        Feel free to quote us.

      • Finally, abusers gain a foothold in the church, other organizations, and the lives of others via proponents of cheap grace and Milquetoast Christianity like you. You need to re-evaluate both your faith and your ethical reference point. Both are seriously skewed. Neither reflect genuine love, and you are clueless—which is a kinder conclusion than the other that comes to mind, which is that you are unethical.
  3. Can’t believed that Dan McClain was hired given what shows up when you Google his name. And to work with kids too?! Where is the decency?

    1. Agree. You couldn’t pay us enough to let Dan McClain near kids. Moreover, if I were a hiring manager, I wouldn’t touch Dan McClain with Holly Hollerith’s “1000-foot pole.” You know——the one Holly uses to decide whether he will address allegations of child rape by clergy.

      #dirtbag

    2. Since when is a Google search and an opinion-based website a court of civil or ecclesiastical law? Where are Dan’s convictions in either? If he had committed civil crimes in ministry, he would have been arrested, charged, and convicted. None of these have happened. In America, one is innocent until proven guilty. PERIOD.

      1. Your question begs the issue. No one claimed that a Google search is a criminal or ecclesiastical conviction; there is no such thing as a civil conviction.

        That said, if you hire someone who is in the middle of an ecclesiastical proceeding that involves allegations of theft from the church, abuse, violations of court orders, and more, you are an idiot.

        Moreover, if it is determined in the ecclesiastical proceedings that Dan McClain has misappropriated church funds — which, BTW, is NOT a component of the divorce proceedings — criminal charges are entirely possible. In that situation, we will support the maximum penalty under the law, including imprisonment.

        In other words, you are an idiot for running interference for Dan. PERIOD.

  4. Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Dan McClain is coaching his kids as they get ready to testify in the divorce case.

    Divorce judges of The Crowne, take ye note!

  5. Are you guys following Dan McClain’s weird relationship with Mike’s Bike Park? It looks like the business is paying McClain under the table, providing big discounts on $1,000 bikes to impress McClain’s kids, and more.

    Parental alienation, anyone?

    PS Speaking of weird, check out Mike Bisig, the owner of Mike’s Bike Park. 🤮

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *