Stealing, Spanking, Sex: Scandal From All Sides at S.F. Church

St. Francis of Assisi shrine "rocked" by accusations.

The scandal unfolding at the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi in San Francisco's North Beach has it all.

A former secretary at the shrine is accusing her former boss of pay-to-play sex -- including intercourse as well as spanking, taking place in the church sanctuary, no less -- at the same time she's accused of embezzling "hundreds of thousands of dollars" from the church's bank accounts.

Jhona Matthews, 33, filed a complaint Nov. 18 saying that she was forced to perform sexually for boss Bill McLaughlin, in his 60s, in order to keep her job as a secretary.

In her suit, Matthews alleges that she was spanked with a wooden paddle and also sent sexual emails by McLaughlin as well as "kissing, fondling, oral sex, [and] sexual intercourse," according to 48hillsonline.org.

The scandal is making headlines nationwide after it was reported in the local media: the New York Daily News took notice of the imbroglio, following the first mention of the sexual harassment charges in journalist Tim Redmond's 48hillsonline.org.

According to the Daily News, the chronology goes like this: Matthews broke off her affair in October. She was fired, and then accused of stealing. She filed her complaint last.

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