BishopAccountability.org
	Catholic Principal Was Fired over Photos, Official Says By Cara Buckley New York Times February 28, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/nyregion/28hayes.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin The principal at a prominent Catholic boys' high school in the Bronx was ousted late last week after photos of nude men were discovered on his computer, a law enforcement official confirmed on Wednesday. No criminal charges were filed against the principal, Christopher Keogan of Cardinal Hayes High School, because the photos were of adults. The dismissal, reported in The New York Post on Wednesday, deeply shook morale at the school, which prides itself on upholding strict codes of discipline and ethics, and sees its mission as plucking boys from struggling city neighborhoods and shaping them into ambitious young men. Among the school's alumni, who refer to themselves as "Hayes Men," are Regis Philbin, Martin Scorsese and the novelist Don DeLillo. George Carlin, the comedian, lasted three semesters at Cardinal Hayes before getting kicked out. "I'm sad for the school, because it drags the school down, and there's so much good that comes out of a place like that," said Robert Budelman, who was the director of development at Cardinal Hayes from December 2000 until last September. "It's got a tremendous reputation for educating the poorest kids from the poorest neighborhoods, and getting them into college and going on to achieve amazing things with their lives." Calls to Mr. Keogan's cellphone were not returned on Wednesday, and the Rev. Joseph F. Tierney, the school's president, would not comment. Jacqueline LoFaro, a spokeswoman for schools at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, which oversees Cardinal Hayes, confirmed Mr. Keogan's dismissal, but not the reasons behind it. For many of the high school's faculty members and current and former students, the details of Mr. Keogan's dismissal remained unclear. Many said they thought that he had been accused of stealing money from the school. A law enforcement official said that the Bronx district attorney had previously investigated an allegation Mr. Keogan had stolen from the school, but that no charges had been brought. Mr. Keogan, 51, had been part of the Christian Brothers, a teaching order that embraces vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. People active in school affairs said he stopped wearing a religious collar in favor of a suit and tie two years ago and no longer used the term "brother" to refer to himself. Yet Steve Mangione, a spokesman for the Christian Brothers, said Mr. Keogan was still part of the order. And on the outgoing message on his cellphone voice mail, he refers to himself as "Brother Keogan." Mr. Mangione declined to comment on Mr. Keogan's removal "out of respect for his privacy." The resignation stunned teachers and students at the high school, where Mr. Keogan was largely seen as charismatic and fair. He joined the school in 1990, and served as the dean of discipline for six years before becoming principal in 2003. He remained a popular figure among graduates, with former students often asking about him at alumni events. "He was a really nice guy, really down to earth, really cool," said Kyle Brooks, 18, who graduated last year. "If you got into trouble, he would listen to both sides of the story. He was an honorable guy. Extremely fair." Cardinal Hayes opened in 1941 in an Art Deco building on the corner of the Grand Concourse and 153rd Street in the South Bronx, alongside an overpass and railroad tracks. From the start, the school was a magnet for immigrant boys, most of them Irish and Italian in the school's early decades, and later Hispanics and blacks as the demographics of the South Bronx and nearby neighborhoods changed. The school gained a reputation for academic excellence and for giving boys from working-class and poor families chances that they would otherwise not have had. According to the school's Web site, 99 percent of its students earn high school diplomas, and 96 percent go on to college. The tuition of $4,900 a year is heavily subsidized by the archdiocese and alumni contributions, and a third of its students get scholarships or financial aid. Mr. Budelman said the school never turned a student away for lack of funds, and today the school has about 1,1,00 students. "My education was priceless," Mr. Brooks said. "They really wanted you to excel as much as you possibly could." For all the laxness that suffused other schools, the rules at Cardinal Hayes remained strict. The boys had to follow the dress code — khakis, a blazer and a shirt and tie — and be neatly groomed. The smallest of violations — lateness, cursing, disobedience, even "unauthorized use of an elevator" — result in detention. Mr. Keogan had a reputation for being strict. Cesar Pena, a student, said boys often fell silent when he walked in the room, but he remained widely liked. "He kept us all in line, so we stay out of trouble," said one student, Jahmier, who would not give his last name. Another student, Jose, said: "I feel at a loss. He kept the school running." The school announced Mr. Keogan's ouster in a letter to parents on Monday. In it, Father Tierney named as interim principal William Lessa, the director of guidance. "Please remember Mr. Keogan in your prayers," he wrote.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.