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	Church Defends Rehiring Sacked Principal ABC December 2, 2010 http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2010/s3083213.htm?site=southqld MARK COLVIN: In Queensland, the Catholic Church is standing by its decision to rehire a Principal sacked for failing to report sexual abuse allegations to police. Brisbane Catholic Education says the man's new role is entirely different, but the families of the 13 children abused at a Toowoomba school say they're disappointed by the move. The Church has been reaching mediated settlements with some of the children's families. Annie Guest reports from Brisbane. ANNIE GUEST: This week's settlement with the Catholic Church may have brought the 13 abused children and their families a brighter moment. But it has been dampened by news that the Principal who was sacked for failing to report suspicions and allegations of abuse to police has been given a job in another diocese. DAMIEN SCATTINI: The families where very disappointed to hear that he's been re-employed in a church school. ANNIE GUEST: The families' lawyer is Damien Scattini. But the Catholic Education office in the Archdiocese of Brisbane defends the move. Its communications manager is John Phelan. JOHN PHELAN: It's an entirely different situation from the role he held in Toowoomba. ANNIE GUEST: The former Principal has been employed as a supply teacher at an Ipswich Catholic school. But the move is criticised as the Church repeating mistakes of the past, shuffling people around who've done the wrong thing. DAMIEN SCATTINI: That's one thing the Catholic Church doesn't seem to be able to learn. ANNIE GUEST: The Principal was sacked from the school in the Toowoomba Diocese for failing to report allegations of sexual abuse to police. He was charged and admitted in court that he reasonably suspected the teacher had sexually abused at least one child. But he was acquitted because he'd reported to superiors. They also failed to go to police. His former colleague, Gerard Byrnes is now serving 10 years in jail for abusing 13 girls. But the Church is not resiling from its decision to re-employ Byrne's old boss. John Phelan again. JOHN PHELAN: He is not in a position in the casual work that he is now doing in a Catholic school to, to be in that situation again. He is not a principal, he has not sought to apply for a job as a principal and I don't think we would appoint him to that role because of the previous history with the problems with his management. But he is working simply as a casual teacher in a classroom. ANNIE GUEST: Would it have been the case that when he was sacked, when he lost his job as the principal that he would have been told 'we'll have some other work for you somewhere in the Catholic education system?' JOHN PHELAN: I doubt that very much because that's not the way in which the Catholic Church now operates. ANNIE GUEST: Meanwhile, the families are trying to put the pieces back together, having just finished explaining the effect of the abuse during mediation with the Church and their lawyer Damien Scattini. DAMIEN SCATTINI: No one can sit there and not be devastated to hear you know what went on and how preventable it was if just one person had done their job properly. ANNIE GUEST: The details of the compensation agreed to by five of the effected families is confidential. And while there's anguish over the re-employment of the former principal, there's appreciation for the way legal proceedings were handled by the Toowoomba Diocese. DAMIEN SCATTINI: Credit where its due, Bishop Morris was very sincere, he was mortified by what had happened. ANNIE GUEST: Several other families are yet to finalise legal proceedings with the Catholic Church over the abuse of their children by the now jailed teacher. MARK COLVIN: Annie Guest.
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