When Cross returned to Birmingham, he was banned from any parish positions. In 1993, Robert W. Wilford accused Cross of sexual abuse during the 1960's when he was a teenager and sued the diocese in 1995.
Upon returning to Birmingham, Cross was precluded from serving in any church capacity. In 1993, Robert W. Wilford alleged that Cross had sexually assaulted him as a teenager during the 1960s and filed a lawsuit against the diocese in 1995.