Unfortunately, we already have a lot of those in this country.
Back to the topic, I was priveleged to hear a radio interview with this young lady and her mother. They never once bad-mouthed the nuns or anything. They told the story, and it is consistent with the other accounts I have read. They expressed their desire to resolve the situation without lawsuits. Although they do have an attorney for legal consultation and communication with the school since they are not allowed to communicate directly with them. They said that they were waiting for the Bishop to possibly intervene on their behalf once more, since he had been on a very tight schedule and then on a trip to Washington. I found no malice in them. I was amazed at how gracious they were about the whole thing. Villainizing a woman because she threatens to expose a scandal that is being brushed under the rug, on the other hand, is not very Christian. This is what I gathered from the interview:
The mother did have photos and/or corresponding evidence from several sources, not just herself.
They provided them to those in charge at the school, and nothing was done.
After the school failed to take any action, the Bishop was involved.
He then required that the teacher be dismissed.
The girl was expelled from school without any warning on a Saturday, through the mail. She was not even allowed to clean out her locker or say goodbye to any classmates or teachers. She was told that her locker contents would be sent to her.
She was left with an incomplete semester and no tuition reimbursement (as of the date of the interview).
What I really don’t understand, is why there was no communication regarding the concerns in the first place? If the principal was indeed trying to “convert” the teacher, or make other such arrangements, why didn’t she just convey that to the mother? And I don’t think, considering that it was early in the school year, that it would be appropriate to allow the teacher to work out the rest of the school year since the allegations were very serious. Working at a Catholic girl’s school by day, and escorting girls into an abortion clinic during off hours are extremely incompatible, to say the least! I would expect a Catholic nun to be seriously alarmed by the possibility of employing such a teacher and assuring the mother that the matter would receive immediate attention. The only reason not to do so would be …what?
This sort of black retaliation isn’t unusual in situations like this. The cost of being a whistleblower within the Church seems so very painful and high.
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