St. Joseph High School principal Joe Myers, who was convicted of failing to report an alleged rape of a female student, has resigned as a result of the verdict, according to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
The Archdioceses’ Rev. Monsignor Sabato Pilato announced Myers’ resignation via a letter to parents posted to the school’s website and dated Oct. 12.
“Though there are various opinions in the community surrounding the trial and the verdict, neither the trial nor its outcome should diminish our gratitude to Mr. Myers for his fine leadership during his tenure at St. Joseph,” the letter reads in part. “Let us extend our best wishes both to Mr. Myers and Mr. [John] Walker, and ask that you please keep them and their families in your prayers.”
The Archdiocese, which supervises numerous Catholic schools in Southern California, had no further comment.
A jury on Oct. 2 found both Myers and the school’s former dean of students, John Walker—mandated reporters by state law—guilty on separate misdemeanor counts of failing to report an alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old student by two other male students. Myers had been on administrative leave since April, pending the results of the trial.
“Everything I’ve ever done in my life, I’ve tried to do the right thing,” Myers told the press outside the courtroom shortly after the verdict was read. “I respect the opinion of the court and the way the trial was conducted, but the fact of the matter is [Walker and I] were put in a very difficult situation.”
St. Joseph English teacher Joanne Poloni has been serving as the school’s interim principal since Myers was placed on leave. Poloni did not immediately return calls from the Sun for comment.
Myers and Walker are due back in court for sentencing on Oct. 30, and each faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
—Jeremy Thomas
This article appears in Oct 25 – Nov 1, 2012.