BG, McCort take stand on two diocese leaders

By Russ O'reilly
Altoona Mirror
June 12, 2016

http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/638521/BG--McCort-take-stand-on-two-diocese-leaders.html?nav=742

Two religious leaders with roles in the Altoona-Johnstown diocese's landmark school consolidation set for this fall are banned from high schools where they formerly served.

Sister Donna Marie Leiden, the diocese's education director, is not welcome at Bishop McCort Catholic High School, where she served as principal during the same time as two child molesters.

"The Bishop McCort Board of Trustees conveyed to the diocese that Sister Donna is not welcome at Bishop McCort," Bishop McCort Principal Tom Fleming confirmed.

Leiden on Wednesday declined an invitation for an interview with the Mirror regarding her status with McCort and the misbehavior of employees during her tenure as principal from 1997 to 2006.

In addition, the recent social media activity of the Rev. Brian Saylor - pastor of the diocese's new middle school set to serve all of the diocese's middle school children in the Altoona area this fall - was investigated by Altoona police this spring upon the request of Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School administrators.

The diocese has given no indication that his role has changed as pastor, but he is not allowed at BG.

Saylor has declined to comment until he gets permission from the diocese, and diocese spokesman Tony DeGol refused to discuss Saylor's status.

"I have nothing to say," DeGol said.

Leiden was principal when Brother Stephen Baker preyed on McCort students and another teacher and deacon absconded to Canada with a female student.

Allegations of Baker's abuse during Leiden's tenure as principal surfaced in 2013 and were followed by the diocese's $8 million settlement with 88 victims from McCort.

Last summer, Bishop Mark L. Bartchak cited money problems for parishes in the diocese. With Leiden as his education director, he planned a sweeping consolidation of parochial schools.

Simultaneously, the Office of the Attorney General investigators, spurred by allegations against Baker, obtained a warrant to take records from the diocesan offices.

The final report revealed Bartchak's predecessor, Bishop Joseph Adamec, had been paying victims of priests. Victims appeared before the diocese's Allegation Review Board without attorneys, the report said.

The grand jury report issued March 1 details the abuse of dozens of priests over decades. It makes no direct mention of Leiden, but she was principal of Bishop McCort under Adamec's tenure, when Baker and another teacher, Tom Lemmon, had inappropriate contact with McCort students.

Both men allegedly openly groomed victims at McCort, according to grand jury documents and attorneys of victims.

Adamec prohibited a former McCort principal, William Rushin, from firing Lemmon - who was studying to be a deacon, the grand jury report states.

Rushin "had observed Lemmon having contact with female students that seemed unprofessional," the report states.

Rushin resigned in 1997 and was succeeded by Leiden. Lemmon went to Canada with a female student and committed suicide in 2003 during Leiden's tenure at McCort.

It's not clear whether Leiden saw Lemmon's fraternizing with female students as plainly as Rushin saw it. The report includes no testimony from Leiden about Lemmon or Baker.

Baker, a McCort teacher and athletic trainer, allegedly displayed inappropriate behavior openly in the years Leiden was principal.

Baker took his own life in 2013 amid allegations.

Attorney Richard Serbin, representing victims of Baker, said he was "shocked" at the grand jury report.

"Frankly, I was surprised grand jury did not find culpable conduct on part of school officials - simply by fact it was well known Baker was engaging in inappropriate conduct," he said. "Many of the young people I represented said it was not unusual for Baker to be massaging students in class, openly."

He added, "Obviously this was inappropriate conduct and part of the grooming process."

Serbin said all of his clients were at Bishop McCort during Leiden's tenure as principal.

The attorney general's investigators found no "conclusive evidence that Bishop McCort administrators were aware of Baker's history or his sexually assaultive conduct," according to the grand jury report.

At Bishop Guilfoyle, President Joe Adams requested police investigate the social media activity of Saylor, a trustee at the school and former teacher.

Though Altoona police found no criminal element in Saylor's social media activity, he is not welcome at BG.

"When we talk about making students feel safe," Adams said, "We (Guilfoyle board) aren't blowing smoke."

Saylor, however, remains a member of the school's board of trustees and is involved with the diocese's youth summer camp.

Parents have been waiting for weeks for Bartchak to make a statement about Saylor's status, said John Swope, a parent of a student in the diocese's parochial school system.

"If there is nothing to it, then let's not have a problem. The diocese should come out and put a stop to it. Don't let this guy hang, twisting in the wind," Swope said.

But if there is something to it, then Bartchak's silence is worse, Swope said.

"As a parent, you are concerned for your kids," Swope said. "I know nothing of Father Saylor. He seems like a nice enough guy."

Speaking generally, Adams said adults of the school may set up a professional social media account to communicate with students, but adults affiliated with the school are prohibited from contacting students on a personal social media account that may include interests from their personal lives.

"We have a social media policy in place that teachers and priests are expected to follow," Adams said.

The schools that banned Leiden and Saylor are currently independent of the diocese and its bishop.

However, Bartchak is a member of the board of trustees for both schools, and as a trustee, Bartchak was party to the decision to ban Saylor, Adams said.

Bartchak's silence about Saylor and his keeping Leiden as diocese education director disturbs Catholic businessman George Foster of Hollidaysburg, an outspoken critic of the diocese.

Foster said he has met with Bartchak and has written a follow-up letter to Bartchak asking him to remove Leiden.

"Why would you have a director of education who is not welcome in our own high schools?" his letter states.

Regarding Saylor, Foster wrote: "In light of all that has transpired in this diocese, Saylor's incident seems minor, but he is the pastor of the new school system and often the priest at the kids' summer camp. The high school took immediate action for the safety of our kids. But we have no assurances from your office."

Foster added in his letter to Bartchak: "Your silence is deafening."