Connecticut Catholic bishops condemn anti-Catholic remarks by public school official – Catholic World Report

Washington, DC Newsroom, Aug. 31, 2022 / 5:15 p.m. (CNA).

Catholic dioceses in Connecticut have condemned comments made in a video by a vice principal at a public elementary school who admitted on hidden camera that he discriminates against Catholics in the hiring process.

“Revelations that a Greenwich School District official discriminated against people of the Catholic faith seeking employment are extremely disturbing and must be treated as a serious breach of public trust and state laws,” said Connecticut executive director Christopher Healy. the Catholic Conference said in an online video posted Aug. 31.

Healy called the alleged discriminatory practices at Cos Cob Elementary School “unacceptable” and called on the school district and state Department of Education to investigate the matter.

“The comments regarding Catholics and the techniques of indoctrination by Deputy Principal Cos Cob Elementary School are despicable and they do a disservice to the many Catholic teachers in the public schools in Greenwich and across the state,” a he added.

The comments were made by Jeremy Boland, vice-principal of Cos Cob Elementary School in Greenwich, Connecticut, one of the nation’s wealthiest municipalities.

Boland, who was secretly recorded chatting with an unidentified Project Veritas reporter, can be seen saying “You don’t hire them” in response to a question about Catholic applicants in the hiring process.

“So would you hire a Catholic then?” asked the reporter, who was sitting with Boland at a restaurant, in a follow-up question.

Boland replied, “No, I don’t want to… Because if someone is brought up as a pure Catholicism, it’s like being brainwashed. You can never change their mindset. So when you ask them to consider something new, like a new opportunity, or “you have to think about it differently,” they get stuck, just rigid. »

Tori Jones, the superintendent of the Greenwich public school system, said a full investigation is underway. Jones added that the school does not “support any opinion that promotes discriminatory hiring practices based on race, religion, gender or age in any way, and we want to remind our entire community that our program policies and procedures are strictly enforced by our Board.”

The video has been viewed over 210,000 times. Boland has been placed on administrative leave, wtnh.com reported.

In the video, Boland also indicated that he thinks parents don’t have a responsibility to shape the kind of education kids get in school.

“I can’t get past the parents anymore,” he said.

“So parents feel like it’s their responsibility to shape the schools, which then shape the children, right? So, because I can’t outrun the parents, do I really have as much influence over the kids as I want? I try in my own way… But for now, my job is to hire the right teachers.

In another conversation with the reporter, he said, “Do we work for the parent or do we work for the child?

“We work for the child,” he replies.

The reporter replied, “So it’s not about parenthood?”

“It shouldn’t be, I don’t think,” Boland said.

Boland commented further on the application process, saying he would not hire a candidate who chooses to side with a parent when asked the hypothetical question below: “So when meeting with the parent, you come up with the plan you are developing for your student to develop those reading skills and concepts, and the parent disagrees with you, how do you handle that?”

If they answer that they would be on the parent’s side, “they don’t get the job,” he said.

Healy, speaking on behalf of the Catholic Dioceses of Connecticut, said, “We hope this is an isolated incident and does not reflect all of the dedicated teachers, administrators and support staff, who attempt to provide a quality education for our children.

He added, however, that “this is an important moment for all elected officials to speak out against these practices and ensure that any parent or student who has concerns about the quality of education is respected and heard”.

“Our nation was founded on the inalienable right of freedom of religion. Any attempt to violate this right, regardless of religion, must be a priority for those to whom we have entrusted the enforcement of these laws,” he said.

Several officials responded to the comments, including state Governor Ned Lamont [D].

“Discrimination of any kind has no place in Connecticut, especially in our public schools. This does not align with our Connecticut values. The Connecticut State Department of Education is aware of the incident, has been in contact with Greenwich Public School administrators, and is monitoring developments,” he said. .

Condemnation for the comments also came from state senator Ryan Fazio, Greenwich coach Fred Camillo and local state representative Kimberly Fiorello.