Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 22:57:27 -0500 From: CORick@AOL.COM Subject: CFV immoral on Colin Cook scandal ***NEWS RELEASE*** COLORADO FOR FAMILY VALUES TAKES DISHONEST, IMMORAL APPROACH TO COLIN COOK SCANDAL November 3, 1995 -- One week after The Denver Post showed that Colorado For Family Values' "ex-gay" minister is sexually molesting counselees, CFV has continued to remain silent, neither attempting to explain its minister's behavior nor moving swiftly to limit his damage. On the day that the Denver Post showed that the Rev. Colin Cook is involved in sexual molestations, including phone sex with his young counselees, several state gay organizations demanded that CFV cease its endorsement and promotion of Cook, apologize to the families it misled, and run correctional advertisements in all the newspaper it had originally advertised Cook as a successful sexual counselor. The gay organizations included Equality Colorado, Ground Zero and the Colorado chapter of Gays and Lesbians Against Immoral Lifestyles. So far, CFV and its executive director Kevin Tebedo have remained silent, avoiding comment and publicity on the matter. "While CFV may be following the most P.R.-savvy approach, it is also the approach that puts Colorado's youth at greatest risk," said Rick Cendo, Colorado president of Gays and Lesbians Against Immoral Lifestyles. "CFV has promoted Colin Cook as a great counselor for Colorado's youth all summer long. Cook has been the featured speaker at numerous CFV 'Time to Stand' seminars across the state. Tebedo has advertised Cook in the Rocky Mountain News and other papers; he has used police force to cover up information about Cook's past sexual molestations. In the Denver Post, Tebedo described Cook as 'top-notch'," Cendo said. "This is the time when CFV and Tebedo should be moving swiftly to admit their wrongs, correct the record, and warn Colorado's families and youth that CFV and Tebedo have tragically misled them," Cendo said. "Yet now, for perhaps the first time in his life, Tebedo is silent." "Tragically, the one time that Kevin Tebedo's words could do some good, rather than harm, is also the first time that Kevin Tebedo has chosen to remain silent." --30--