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Drug-Treatment Counselor Fired Amid Sex Allegations

POSTED: Wednesday, October 20, 2004

A Salvation Army counselor lost his job this week amid allegations that he used his office to have sex with a woman enrolled in the faith-based organization's drug-treatment program.

The Salvation Army said that Rasheed Abdullah, a clinical supervisor with the program, was fired for "ethics violations." But the counselor said it's a lie.

"He took advantage of our codependency, us being in a rehabilitation center," said Russell Gnann, who is enrolled in the treatment program. "He was having sex with a female client. She took a polygraph and passed it."

Gnann was placed in the Salvation Army's Residential Drug Treatment Program by a judge after being arrested.

The Department of Corrections, which oversees the program, has a detailed report containing sexual allegations against Abdullah dating back to August.

According to the report, Abdullah and the woman had sex approximately 20 times in the bathroom of his office.

Another passage said someone in the program was "allowed to get drunk and high," and that Abdullah let others use offices to have sex with each other.

Speaking by phone, Abdullah told Eyewitness News that the allegations are false.

However, the report said, several witnesses passed lie-detector tests about the situation.

The Salvation Army wouldn't comment about Abdullah. But they said they acted quickly in firing him.

Major Jim Seiler, area supervisor for the Salvation Army, said he didn't think the treatment program's integrity was compromised.

"We're in the business of protecting people and we feel like we do an awfully good job with it," he said.

DOC officials said that, as far as they're concerned, their case against Abdullah is closed.

"We have forwarded it to the State Attorney's Office and they're currently reviewing it to see if there's any applicable charges," said Sterlin Ivey of the DOC.

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