A few weeks shy of St. Joseph High School’s summer break, the proverbial bell rang early for Principal Erinn Dougherty.
In mid-May, the private school’s superintendent announced that Dougherty “has been placed on administrative leave pending a review of reported verbal comments made in a meeting of students.”
“Please know that the well-being and care of our students remain our highest priority, and we are working to review and address this matter carefully and responsibly,” Michael Ronan, superintendent of the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region, stated. “In the meantime, Tom Mott will serve as the lead administrator of the school to ensure continuity of school operations.”
On May 8, the Sun received an audio file via email from someone who signed off as “a concerned parent.” The person described the file as a recording of Dougherty “reprimanding an entire class for a fighting incident that was posted online.”
Email addresses associated with multiple media outlets that cover the Orcutt area were copied on the email, including the Sun, KSBY, and KEYT.
“If I were your teacher from here on out, I would never let you out of your seats, because obviously you act like wild animals,” the speaker—allegedly Dougherty—said in the recording. “What I saw in that video was some of the most white trash public school behavior I have ever seen.
“That behavior is not becoming of a St. Joseph Knight,” the speaker continued. “It is not becoming of a person at a Catholic school. That is for the people who are not going to going to own the businesses. That is for the little workers. That’s for the people who will never own a home. They’re going to rent a home. … It was public school behavior. People do not pay $15,000 a year for that. It was completely unacceptable. It was disgusting.”
Near the end of the four-minute audio clip, the speaker tells someone: “For the love of God, don’t let them record each other, because now our white trash tomfoolery—where we look like absolute trash—is all over the internet. That’s a fantastic look for the school.”
The Sun reached out to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for comment on the recording and Dougherty’s administrative leave.
“We cannot comment on the details,” Media Relations Director Yannina Diaz stated via email on May 18. “That said, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Department of Catholic Schools is working closely with the school to address this matter.”
“The school has taken steps to ensure that all end-of-the-year processes, graduation requirements, and festivities will remain on schedule, and that every student successfully meets their final milestones,” Diaz continued. “We are grateful for the efforts of the school community and offer our prayers for a good rest of the school year.”
This article appears in May 21 – May 28, 2026.