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Re MCS decision on principal
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Posted on Jan 21 2000
This is in response to the October 31, 1 999 incident involving the arrest of Mount Carmel School Principal, Mr. Michael Miller.
As a proud alumnus of Mount Carmel School, as well as a concerned older sister and cousin of a number of Mt. Carmel School students, I was dismayed to learn of Mr. Miller’s arrest for disturbing the peace and assaulting a security guard at the Hyatt Regency’s Gilligan’s.
I was further disappointed with Mt. Carmel School’s lukewarm and ineffective response to his behavior. Instead of promptly terminating Mr. Miller from his position at Mt. Carmel School, as any rational administration would have done, Mt. Carmel School not only permitted him to remain principal, but justified his behavior to students. In the words of my young cousin who is a Mt Carmel student, “[what he did] was okay because he was over 21, he didn’t do it on school property, and he didn’t do it in front of students. That’s what my teacher told us.”
If Mr. Miller’s actions were deplorable, Mt. Carmel School’s response was inexcusable. Mr. Miller exhibited complete disregard for his position as a leader and role model in a close-knit community, and effectively tarnished Mt. Carmel School’s reputation for instilling in its students good moral judgment and a sense of civic responsibility. By justifying his behavior to students and the rest of the community, Mt. Carmel School has consequently promoted the message that breaking the law and injuring other people is permissible under such arbitrary circumstances as age, time, and place.
In such a small community, incidents such as these are never isolated. They carry serious repercussions for all members of society, especially children. As Elementary School Principal, Mr. Miller presides over young, impressionable children, and that is why I am so concerned. I know very well that these youngsters look up to him for guidance and leadership, and it both saddens and frightens me that this is the kind of person they hold in such high regard.
Sincerely,
Christina Sablan
Mt. Carmel School, Class of 1999
Tel.: (773) 472 9524
Email: tinasablan(@yahoo.com
