The high school principal who first spoke to the media about that has a new job -- with the Catholic Church:
Four days after retiring as a public school administrator, former Gloucester High School principal Joseph Sullivan was hired as the new principal of St. Joseph's School, a Catholic kindergarten through eighth-grade school in Wakefield.
Sullivan, who lives in Wakefield, was contacted about a job in his home parish last weekend after his abrupt resignation from Gloucester High School went into effect last Friday, the Rev. Ron Barker, pastor of St. Joseph's Parish, said yesterday.
"He has wonderful qualities, qualifications and knowledge and we would be foolish not to use his experience," Barker said. "We are excited because he knows the parents and the kids here."
Sullivan was hired Tuesday on an interim basis "at the moment," Barker said. He said no plans exist at the school to identify a permanent principal. The previous principal of St. Joseph's School, Maria Morris, resigned at the end of the last school year.
Barker declined to say how much Sullivan is earning in his new job.
Calls to Sullivan at St. Joseph's were not returned.
Sullivan resigned from Gloucester High School after comments he made to the media about a group of girls actively looking to have children at the high school drew scrutiny.
He expressed concerns about proposals to provide contraceptives to students at the high school health clinic without parental notification.
The Roman Catholic Church is opposed to the use of birth control.
In his resignation letter to Superintendent Christopher Farmer, Sullivan said he was retiring from "public school administration" because of a lack of support from Farmer and Mayor Carolyn Kirk in the wake of the media frenzy over the spike in teen pregnancy at Gloucester High School.
He said Farmer had excluded him from deliberations about new school policies on teen pregnancy and Kirk slandered him at a news conference.
Sullivan, who was principal at Gloucester High School for 10 years before stepping down, said in a letter accompanying his resignation that he had been eligible for retirement with full pension more than two years ago.
State law prohibits public employees who retire from taking another public job that would, when combined with their pension, allow them to make more than they would have made by not retiring.
The laws do not have any affect on employment by private schools.
St. Joseph's, funded by the Boston Archdiocese, has an annual enrollment of around 210 students served by 14 lay teachers.
Barker, who said he has known Sullivan for several years, said he was not concerned that the controversy surrounding Sullivan in Gloucester as a result of the spike in pregnancies would have any negative impact on St. Joseph's
"We are not concerned; we just want to share in his gifts and talents," Barker said. The pregnancy discussion "has nothing to do with Wakefield."
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6 comments:
I don't believe it is accurate to say that the "pact" story was "debunked." The mayor of Gloucester and other officials -- scrambling against all the negative publicity -- said the Time magazine story could not verified. But none of the girls involved has said anything publicly.
Mr. Sullivan himself said he never used the word "pact" but that he said at least some of the girls tried to get pregnant and have babies together. Certainly the numbers are on his side. And the culture at the school --they have THEIR OWN DAY CARE CENTER FOR STUDENTS' CHILDREN for heaven's sake -- does nothing to discourage teens from having children.
Mr. Sullivan was a respected school administrator who tried to stand up for decency and parents' rights in a state that all but encourages high school students to have as much sex as they want, experiment with their "sexual identities" and shut parents out of the kids' lives.
"The Roman Catholic Church is opposed to the use of birth control."
I cannot count the number of times this line shows up in articles about teen pregnancies or other single women having unwanted pregnancies, as if the church wants these women to get pregnant. The birth control teaching is irrelevant here. The relevant teaching is no sex outside of marriage.
Whether debunked or not, the Catholic Church is against aritificial contraception, not birth control. Birth control is an end, artificial contraception is a means. When it comes to sex outside of marriage, which is a grave sin, or at least a sin with grave matter, the sin is not made more aggregious by the employment of a condom.
I just wonder if the photo was taken before or after the hiring-- he sure doesn't look real happy!
Of course it could be the tried-and-true "don't smile until Thanksgiving" philosophy... :)
Since he didn't get those girls pregnant I'm not sure what the fuss is about. Times are hard in Gloucester and it showed in the family break down.
I remember watching that press conference given by the mayor, I don't remember seeing this gentleman there. I do remember however, that the Mayor of Gloucester blamed George Bush for the girls getting pregnant. I kidd you not.
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