43
Mooney students’ rally supports fire principal
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Cardinal Mooney High School’s colors are red and gold, but about 100 students donned white T-shirts Tuesday morning to show support for their ousted principal.
John Young, principal since 2011, was terminated last week, and the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown hasn’t revealed the reason, calling it a personnel matter.
Students — wearing shirts emblazoned with “Forever Young” and carrying a large cutout “J” and “Y” — chanted, “Mr. Young, Mr. Young,” while marching in front of the school building before the start of classes. Some shouted that they want Young to be reinstated.
Students say they deserve an explanation for Young’s dismissal.
Senior Elise Jamison said Young was supportive of students.
“He just loves Mooney,” she said.
Junior Delaney Reardon agreed.
“He’s always supportive of us,” she said. “He attends all of the sporting events.”
Jamison is upset that Young, who became principal when this year’s seniors were freshmen, won’t be there to distribute their diplomas when they graduate.
But his support crosses all lines, she said. All grade levels and all groups of students, from athletes to those enrolled in Advanced Placement courses, showed their support in the morning rally, Jamison pointed out.
The diocese should explain the decision, said senior Annie Boniface.
“If they can’t explain, all of the teachers here are required to teach a social-justice class,” she said. “We don’t understand the justice of this.”
The Rev. Gerald DeLucia, Mooney president, and Mike Latessa, vice president, issued a statement in response to the student display.
“We understand that our students may be feeling some discomfort over the current news here at Cardinal Mooney High School,” they wrote. “We support them voicing that concern in a peaceful manner, with parental permission and without breaking school policy. At this time, the Mooney Family needs to heal and push forward in a positive new direction.”
Father DeLucia said the students have a right to express their opinions, but school must go on. He said there are no plans to address the issue formally with students. The decision to replace Young, he said, is out of his hands, but it won’t be reversed.
“It’s not that arbitrary,” he said. “There is long-standing process behind this.”
Bishop George V. Murry said the Mooney situation is an internal school matter and referred questions to Mary Fiala, interim schools superintendent.
Fiala was out of the office Tuesday and couldn’t be reached.
A career educator and Mooney alumnus who served as principal in both the Liberty and Brookfield school districts before coming to Mooney, Young learned of plans for the student protest from a parent over the weekend.
He didn’t attend. When contacted later, he grew emotional, his voice cracking as he fought tears while talking about students’ support.
“It’s heartening,” he said. “It’s the way it’s been for 42 years for me. That’s what bothers me the most. It’s the kids. That’s the hardest part. It’s wrong. They deserve answers.”
Young said last week he was asked Jan. 15 by school and diocese officials to either resign or retire. He wouldn’t, and they terminated him.
Students, who didn’t have school Friday because of a teacher in-service session, learned of Young’s termination through a letter that was emailed to parents last Thursday. The letter said that Mark Vollmer, assistant principal, would serve as interim principal through the end of the school year. The diocese plans a search to hire a replacement who would start in the 2015-16 school year.
Senior Brandon Gromada said Young was an administrator who was there for the students and he and his classmates don’t understand his dismissal. “It’s outrageous,” he said.
Young encouraged students to not only perform well in academics but to demonstrate respect for others and for themselves, Gromada said.
Senior Tommy Simko believes the decision to replace Young was wrong. “It doesn’t make any sense,” he said.