BILLINGS — Montana Rescue Mission leadership detailed its future plans Thursday in response to sexual assault accusations of one of its employees.
The accusations come on the heels of the firing of former Executive Director Matt Lundgren after an internal HR investigation.
Watch this video to hear from leadership:
The employee worked as the nonprofit's addiction counselor and social worker. MTN is choosing not to name them because no criminal charges have been filed.
Billings police confirmed that the department is handling the investigation, which was brought to light through documents provided by Montana Attorney General's Austin Knudsen's office on Thursday.
Those documents detail that the employee is accused of assaulting two women, who confided in a Billings therapist, Jonathan Angel, who later reported the assaults.
Joanna King with the Billings Leadership Foundation, which handles administrative work for the Mission, said that the nonprofit is taking the accusations seriously and letting the investigation commence before any permanent action is taken.
"Everyone is entitled due process, for both victims or people being accused," King said Thursday morning. "We want to make sure that we take complaints and concerns seriously."
King also said that with the recent turbulent changes, the nonprofit is looking to make changes.
"One of the things in all of the leadership changes is reopen lines of communication with area partners," King said. "At the end of the day, we want to make sure that we are providing the best care that we can."
Some of those community partnerships include RiverStone Health and the Community Crisis Center, which were used by the mission in years past. Former Billings City Council Member and current President of the Yellowstone Human Trafficking Task Force Penny Ronning said she hopes that returns to the norm.
"It used to be so community-based," Ronning said of the Mission Thursday afternoon. "Members of different sectors in the community were active within the workings of the mission."
Ronning said when Lundgren took over, that feeling of transparency began to change, which is why she was saddened but not shocked by the recent news.
"I'm disappointed and hurt for our community, but mostly for those that the mission serves," Ronning said. "Sadly, I'm not surprised."
Ronning said it's unfortunately common around the state for unethical behavior to exist within at-risk populations.
"These are the places that we are seeing in Montana right now being the most vulnerable to trafficking, to predators and the Mission is not an exception to that," Ronning said.
Now, Ronning said she hopes the recent challenges will lead to a more positive direction.
"It really is upon that board and current leadership to make that change," Ronning said.
King said they're committed to finding the right path, similar to their residents.
"We're meant to be a stop along the way," King said. "They're meant to stop, get the help they need and transfer on. That's what we're trying to do too."
