Letters to the Editor

February 3, 2008

Diocese demonstrates its hypocrisy with its stand against teachers union

With great disappointment and disgust, I have been reading about the Diocese of Scranton’s refusal to recognize a union representing the diocese’s lay teachers.

Refusing to allow teachers to be represented fairly smacks of the worst kind of hypocrisy, one that undermines the values that these teachers, during their careers, sought to instill in students on the church’s behalf.

I was taught in every aspect of 12 years of Catholic school education that concern for social justice is at the heart of Catholicism.

Now it seems that concern, the teachings of the church about the rights of working people and papal encyclical, as well as the policy and precedent established by the diocese, have been rejected in favor of self-interest and the bottom line.

Renouncing its own commitment to workers’ rights and a rejection of social justice by the diocese will lead to greatly diminished credibility and cause enormous harm to current and future Catholic students.

I encourage students, families and fellow Catholic school alumni to express their disapproval of the diocese’s actions and support for the teachers.

Geoff Rushton Bishop Hoban High School class of 1997 Bellefonte

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