March 29, 2005

Priest Dismissed Over Instant Messages To Students

LAWRENCE (MA)
News Channel 10

POSTED: 3:21 pm EST March 29, 2005
UPDATED: 3:27 pm EST March 29, 2005

LAWRENCE, Mass. -- A priest has been fired as chaplain of a Catholic high school in Lawrence after it was learned that he been instant messaging with three students.

The Boston archdiocese said the Rev. Michael Randone has also resigned as pastor of Sacred Hearts church in Haverhill.

Central Catholic High School president Richard Van Houten said Randone violated the school's policy on appropriate boundaries between adults and minors.

Van Houten said Randone had previously been warned twice about "off-campus contact" with students.

One of the messages, sent with the same screen name that Randone used in other communications, allegedly contained comments of a sexual nature. But Van Houten said the school was uanble to verify that Randone had sent that particular message.

Posted by kshaw at March 29, 2005 04:55 PM