A Colorado Catholic elementary and middle school disinvited two Catholic feeder high schools from its admissions night event, citing the high school faculty’s alleged “antagonism” of Catholic leadership and values.
St. Thomas More Catholic School, an elementary and middle school, disinvited nearby high schools Regis Jesuit High School and St. Mary’s Academy from its annual admissions events for families seeking high school options, the Denver Post reported. St. Thomas More alleged that faculty members at the Catholic schools are supportive of ideologies inconsistent with the Catholic faith and have a “general antagonism” toward Catholic leaders.
Father Randy Dollins and St. Thomas More Principal Gretchen DeWolfe sent an email to parents alleging that the high school’s faculty “explicitly endorse positions on same-sex attraction and gender that are inconsistent with the teachings of the church.”
“Over the past months, many questions have arisen concerning the current Catholic formation provided at both of these high schools,” the letter to parents reportedly reads. “Because of this, we cannot in good conscience endorse their presence at our school.”
The letter to St. Thomas More’s parents also alleged that faculty members at Regis Jesuit and St. Mary’s Academy are antagonistic toward Catholic leaders that “hold firm to traditional Christian morality and doctrine,” and that the schools are inclined “to adopt the ideological errors of our age, rather than standing for the truths of [the Catholic] faith.”
The topic of LGBTQ+ is at the center of a tense exchange and claims of defamation by Regis Jesuit High School, St. Mary’s Academy and a letter mentioning both by officials at St. Thomas More Catholic School. https://t.co/rGundDuTow
— FOX31 Denver KDVR (@KDVR) September 15, 2022
St. Mary’s Academy sent a letter to parents rebutting the claims made by St. Thomas More’s leadership. When asked for further comment, the school directed the Daily Caller to the letter.
“We model respect and understanding of others’ ways of thinking, beliefs, human longings, sorrows, and joys. This teaching allows for a deeper understanding of others and one’s convictions in an increasingly complex, multicultural, and multireligious world,” the letter reads.
“Sadly, [St. Thomas Mores] made erroneous statements concerning our Catholic formation,” the letter continues.
Regis Jesuit allegedly sent a letter calling St. Thomas More’s comments “shockingly defamatory,” the Denver Post reported. Regis Jesuit said it was “completely blindsided by this attempt to impugn the integrity of Regis Jesuit.”
In the letter to parents, Regis Jesuit leadership said the accusations are “the continuation of a false, often politically-motivated, narrative being promulgated by a relatively small group of people who question or outright oppose the direction of our school.”
The Denver Post previously reported that two teachers from Regis Jesuit were terminated after publishing an op-ed from a student that argued abortion should be legal. (RELATED: Using The Wrong Pronouns Deemed ‘Abuse’ At Elite University: Report)
A spokeswoman for Regis Jesuit told the Daily Caller they are “exploring all potential remedies in this situation” and did not wish to comment.
St. Thomas More and did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.