On Aug. 31, the world watched as generations gathered in a church to pay tribute to the beloved queen of soul, Aretha Franklin. After Ariana Grande’s tribute performance of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” the world watched as Bishop (yes) Charles H. Ellis III invited her to the stage and very evidently fondled her right breast, leaving his hand tightly gripped on her throughout his speech. 

A clergyman creating and taking advantage of an uncomfortable, inescapable situation. Shocking, right? Well if that pisses you off, it might make you feel better to know that Ellis has since “apologized,” stating quite smugly to the Associated Press, “I don’t know. I guess I put my arm around her. Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar, but again, I apologize.” He also stated with a smile, “Everybody that was up, I shook their hands and hugged them. That’s what we are all about in the church. We are all about love.”

Obviously, there are many problems I have with Ellis’s actions and his subsequent statement. While many see this incident as a victory for the #MeToo movement, I have more of a pessimistic take. Yes, it was pretty great that such backlash followed from so many people so quickly. However, bystanders actually standing up for a victim and acknowledging an incident of sexual misconduct, which clearly occurred in public view, is not a victory. It should be a natural reaction in any decent society. 

Being able to openly call out wrongdoers was thankfully made much easier by the solidarity of #MeToo, but it should not be the end goal of the movement. Up until now, I was under the impression that the #MeToo movement and the fear of being shamed was actually scaring people from behaving so boldly and badly. Clearly with Ellis, this was nowhere near the case at Aretha Franklin’s funeral service. Not only did he have the guts to do what he did, he also did it in front of a massive audience. Aside from a brief trend of public shaming on social media, there weren’t any actual repercussions. 

It is entirely beyond me how someone living in the #MeToo era – notably a pastor – would dare attempt to touch a woman in the manner he did in front of cameras for the entire world to see. Not to mention, this was an incredibly aggressive instance of forced, prolonged contact. Grande desperately expressed her shock and discomfort, both of which could be felt by anyone watching. No one interrupted. No one took Grande off the stage, which I am sure she would have appreciated. Everyone watched silently and tweeted while the pastor continued the service.

This was a service to honor Aretha Franklin; no one wanted to steal the spotlight and make an unpleasant scene. But once the pastor’s actions crossed the line, there should have been an immediate reaction beyond a trend on twitter. Everyone in the audience saw this happen, including Grande’s fiancé who has stated his regret in not being able to protect her. Yet, the pastor still faces no real-world repercussions.

Ellis did offer a half-hearted apology in which he implied that this is how he treats everyone. Is Pastor Ellis is so accustomed to groping women upon embracing them, that he simply didn’t register the number of cameras and eyes on him at the moment? Perhaps. But more likely, it is the continuing classic case of prominent figures abusing their position of power. Either way: another strike on the church’s record.