The following comes from a December 2 LA Times article by Alene Tchekmedyian:
A father has filed a lawsuit against a Catholic grade school in Glendale, claiming his teenage daughter was wrongfully expelled following false rumors of sexual misconduct.
Roberto Pangilinan claims that his daughter, who had attended Holy Family Grade School for nine years, was expelled during her last semester of eighth grade after she reported being bullied by her peers, according to the complaint filed last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The lawsuit was filed against the school and its administrators, including Principal Fidela Suelto, Rev. James Bevacqua and Vice Principal Katharine Huntley, along with eighth-grade teacher Ashley Walden and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
On February 13, the teenager told Walden that her peers were spreading false rumors that she was having sex, and begged the teacher to make them stop, according to the lawsuit.
That week, the suit claims, the principal requested that certain unnamed students provide written statements about the rumor or they would not be allowed to participate in a class trip to Disneyland.
The suit alleges that Suelto refused to show the then-13-year-old girl’s father the statements, but told him that four weeks earlier, she learned that two boys had seen his daughter in the boys bathroom, partially undressed, with her boyfriend.
On February 17, hours after a meeting with the teenager and her parents during which the girl denied sexual misconduct, Suelto informed the girl’s father via email that his daughter had been expelled and would be escorted off campus immediately, the suit says.
The suit seeks more than $500,000 in damages.
I think Parents (students) should sue all Catholic grade and high schools, and Catholic Universities for FRAUD when they do NOT teach all Students the Catholic Faith (in accord with the Bible and CCC).
It is fraudulent to advertise and take money for tuition – that a school is “Catholic”, when it does not teach the Catholic Faith, and require students to live up to that Faith.
I agree PETE. Right on! Im also interested in knowing the details of this case because if these kids supposedly saw this why wasnt any teacher informed when such accusations occured. An adult called on scene would of helped make the validity of the situation stronger and they could of made appropriate actions. PETE you right but lets not be insensitive just in case this girl is truly innocent. Kids can also be mean spirited and commit culnemity, make up such scandalous gossip. Envy and jealousy in people have been known destroy the dignity of persons. In a case like this and such serious accusations like impurity, if this parent truly believes in their heart that their child is innocent, then bravo for these parents to defend their…
Everyone should watch the Vortex about Catholic schools and their trumped up, false accusations: https://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/vort-2015-12-03. That may not be the case here, but it certainly could be.
Dave N., thank you so much for that link to the Vortex! I strongly recommend everybody take a look. The type of incident Michael Voris shares does happen! Personally, even though I have not been the target of such wickedness, I have seen enough swept under the rug, especially when it comes to alleged same-sex behavior, that the existence of the Lavender Mafia is a proven reality.
I also thank you Dave N. I had not seen this particular video of Michael Voris’. I have learned in incidences such as this to document, document and document and leave a long paper trail.
God bless these parent’s. Should their child be innocent, then God bless them for defending their daughter’s purity but if the school is right, then thank God they didnt tolerate such behaviors but I hope they handled the situation well to make sure for certain that its not just malicious gossip and slander. If no adult in charge saw the incident, then i dont see how they could of moved forward with pulling her out of the school. I pray for the truth and may souls be saved.
So what happened to the boy involved in the allegations. He should be escorted off as well.
What a mess! We’ve had a couple of situations in our parish school where kids did something wrong and then stuck to their falsehoods. In any case, if the girl was involved in the “heavy petting” in the bathroom, was her boyfriend expelled as well? Was expulsion an appropriate punishment? I’m pretty sure that in our school our pastor and principal would have found a better way to correct the girl’s behavior. Is the school concerned that there might have been a bunch of students who got together to flout the 8th Commandment?
Kids need to be taught right from wrong, and the SERIOUSNESS of MORTAL SINS!! This “bathroom behavior” is MORTAL SIN– and both the boy and girl need PROPER INSTRUCTION IN THE CATECHISM– and they also need the Sacrament of Confession! BOTH should be expelled! Next– if the situation is a lie– those telling lies–(ANOTHER SERIOUS MORTAL SIN!!) need to be expelled, too, and sent to the Confessional!! VERY SERIIOUS SINS!!
Linda Maria … OK …The child gets counseled, see the error of her way confesses and then gets expelled to a public school where she won’t have the moral guidence she needs?????
C&H–Some kids are incorrigible, and refuse to correct their faults— lifelong!! Sad, but true! Anyway– a teacher has the right to send a child to the principal’s office, for bad behavior! And a principal has the right to expel a child, for bad behavior! Some kids need to learn by “tough love!” A Catholic school is a religious school, and Catholic parents all pay good money, to send their children there! It is very serious!
To add t my above reply, to C&H– It is a sad thing, but there are always some kids who are really not ready, not mature enough, for the responsibility of going to school! Some never grow up! And they fail at not just school– but fail in the workplace, in friendships, and in marriage and parenthood, too, later on! It takes good morals, good manners, respect, and a life that is responsible, to be a success, in all areas of one’s life!
I will add something, to what I wrote, above. Of course, I have no idea, as to the truth of the case, in the above story! Many times, kids who get into trouble with sex-related misbehavior when young, end up getting into much worse problems, such as juvenile delinquency– and worse– as they get older! It also can be very hard, to correct such kids, and get them on the right path! They may sneak around with a boyfriend or girlfriend, and the consequences may be tragic! Teen pregnancy out-of-wedlock, abortion, drugs, and worse!! Better to help a child, if you can– to get on the right path, and stay on the right path, when young!
There are far too many horrible examples in todays Church, of clerical sex abuse, that is probably also the result of an authority figure being too lenient, and “coddling” a young Catholic man, who is either a seminarian or priest. Disregarding his true character, and having no moral conscience, as to what kind of future priest is being given to society! This is HORRIBLE!! Many, many, many people can tragically suffer in the future, (including babies killed in the womb!) as the result of a wayward, misbehaving child or teen-ager, being wrongfully “coddled!” Raising a child properly, is a big responsibility!
I once knew of a good Catholic family, with a similar problem to this news story. One of their daughters, a good student, was sneaking around with her boyfriend.. After a school trip, the girl came home pregnant! Both families tried to separate the two kids, who also agreed, a “shotgun marriage” was wrong. And the girl was prepared by her mom for Motherhood, and told sternly, that she must now grow up, and be a good MOM!! AND NO MORE MISBEHAVIOR!! You will be a MOM— FOREVER!! Well, both mom and baby eventually turned out to be a great success!! Today, the grown baby is married, and active in her parish! And her mom, now a good Catholic– is still single, but active in the Church, too!