In 2006, Rhoades recommended to the Vatican that William Presley, a priest in the diocese, be laicized. Presley had faced allegations of sexual abuse in the 1970's when he was assigned to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. In his letter, Rhoades termed Presley as a "sexual predator" and a danger to the Catholic community.
In 2006, Rhoades suggested to the Vatican that William Presley, a priest in the diocese, be defrocked. Presley had faced allegations of sexual abuse in the 1970s when he was assigned to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. In his letter, Rhoades described Presley as a "sexual abuser" and a threat to the Catholic community.