Despite allegations of two egregious cases of bullying among students at Cardinal Mooney High School, the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown and school officials are refusing to confirm — or even discuss — the issue.

Likewise, officials from Cardinal Mooney High School and the diocese have declined to offer any explanation about last month’s removal of President Mark Oles and Principal Mark Vollmer, despite repeated requests from this newspaper.

Word that Vollmer and Oles were leaving Mooney came Jan. 30 from Bishop George Murry and Superintendent of Schools Mary Fiala. The bishop and the superintendent declined at that time to offer any explanation for the abrupt exit, and still remain mum on whether their departure is related to alleged bullying.

According to information provided to The Vindicator on the condition of anonymity, unfettered bullying recently escalated to a point at which legal action may have been threatened. The bullying of a female student escalated over the course of several months and repeated requests for assistance from school officials, including Vollmer, were unheeded, sources said.

Cardinal Mooney has denied the allegations, yet refuses to offer any further explanation on the removal of Oles and Vollmer.

That comes on the heels of the case of a former Mooney varsity basketball player transferring to Ursuline High School because the boy claimed to be the victim of ongoing intimidation, harassment and bullying “from classmates at Cardinal Mooney.”

The unidentified boy and his family sued the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the entity that oversees Ohio high school athletics, seeking exemption from OHSAA rules that would have banned him from playing basketball for part of the season due to his transfer. The suit has since been settled.

Legal documents stated the bullying caused the boy to seek counseling in October 2018.

The mistreatment continued into the fall of this school year, leading the student to experience diminishing grades, anxiety and “an overall fear for his safety while attending classes,” according to the lawsuit.

The boy’s parents reportedly contacted Vollmer and Oles on separate occasions to discuss the bullying, according to the suit. They enrolled the boy at Ursuline on Oct. 14.

Vollmer testified during a hearing that he was “aware of the bullying complaint, told teachers to monitor the hallways, but explained that he did not interview any students or prepare a written report of any bullying findings,” the suit states.

Mooney officials did not respond to calls from The Vindicator seeking comment on the suit, nor after Vollmer and Oles left the school. In an email to The Vindicator, Fiala declined to respond to questions about whether the leaders’ departures were related to bullying allegations.

While we understand this school is private, not public, Cardinal Mooney has played a significant role in educating our area’s youth. It has an important role in the Youngstown Diocese with its faith-based Catholic education.

For these reasons, the church owes students, parents, parishioners and the community an explanation about what led to the abrupt decision to change course in its leadership.

Unfortunately, the Catholic church has become known for secrecy and mishandling of serious matters. Most everyone is familiar with the sexual abuse cases and cover-ups that have plagued it for years.

One would think church officials would have learned by now the importance of transparency and would be willing to head off rumors that even they acknowledged would result from the two administrators’ departure.

“We realize that sudden change like this will most likely prompt questions and, perhaps, speculation and rumor,” Murry said in making the initial announcement.

In response to further inquiry from The Vindicator, Fiala said this on Feb. 6:

“Unfortunately, we’re hearing about rumors that reflect negatively on Mr. Oles and Mr. Vollmer. Both are committed Catholic men of high moral character who believe in Cardinal Mooney and provided years of service. They are leaving on good terms and don’t deserve in any way to be the subject of such speculation.”

If that’s the case, then doesn’t the church owe it to Oles and Vollmer to put these rumors to rest?

We believe the school’s leadership understands how rumors and innuendo also could affect procurement of new students and would want to further explain how the school plans to correct the situation(s) that led to the administrators’ sudden departure.

Every school district, at some time or another, has difficult situations to deal with. Being open and forthright with the public is always the best choice. School districts that handle the fallout well generally fare better with their community than trying to hide the issue.

We urge the diocese to emerge from this ongoing shroud of secrecy in its operations.

editorial@tribtoday.com

SCRIPTURE

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4 NKJV