A Light in Darkness?

An Open Letter from St. Thomas Aquinas Alumni and Community

Lux in Tenebris. These are not simply words that adorn the buildings of St. Thomas Aquinas High School (STA); they are a call to action. As students of STA, we were encouraged to develop a commitment to service and justice. We learned about the importance of speaking truth to power as we cultivated our burgeoning critical thinking skills and intellectual curiosity.  STA was always a safe space for thoughtful debate on controversial issues, no matter one’s background.  These practices prepared us well for life after high school, in the myriad ways we all contribute to society today.

Now as alumni, we demonstrate kindness and compassion in our homes, communities, and professions, all values instilled in us by our STA education. STA alumni work in fields that promote these values. You can find us in town councils and state legislatures, courthouses and hospitals, nurseries and hospices, schools and universities, farms and factories, the Armed Forces and the Peace Corps. We embody A Light in Darkness.

As part of our commitment to these values, we feel obligated to speak out against the betrayal of these values by the current leadership of the school. Specifically, the administration has:

• Callously and blithely dismissed the efforts of professional, thoughtful teachers who had attempted to address students' preferred pronouns via a letter to parents that described them as "well-intentioned but misguided"
• Dismissed long-standing, well-respected teachers in an effort designed not only to quash those questioning some decisions but also to intimidate the remaining teachers into silence
• Pressured student leaders to not speak out against the aforementioned actions
• Removed Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World from the curriculum, a book which has been integral to the English Department at STA for the last 30+ years
• Informed members of the staff that the controversial “Person and Identity” gender ideology material would be presented to them in the Fall

These recent actions directly oppose the values held by STA alumni and outlined in the mission statement of St. Thomas Aquinas High School.  These are not actions that display moral leadership, critical thinking, or social justice.

We are deeply concerned about the recent events unfolding in our community and the underlying threat imposed on STA students and staff. The Catholic Catechism states that “(LGB) persons must be accepted with respect and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”  Furthermore, Pope Francis has spoken of his own ministry to LGBTQIA+ individuals affirming that they are “children of God'' and are “loved by God,” as well as the need to lead with a pastoral approach.  Medical and social science have supported for more than a century that biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation exist on a continuum; there is no inherent dichotomy.

The “Person and Identity Project” stands in stark contrast to these teachings, as well as to what has long been settled by medical and psychological science. The project claims there is a “social contagion” at play, whereas Pope Francis' words call for a broadening in acceptance of the variability in the human experience. Approximately one out of every five individuals in Gen Z identifies as LGBTQIA+.  This percentage continues to rise as acceptance (not contagion) enables increasing numbers of youth to be their authentic selves.

Schools are integral to both intellectual and emotional development. There is extensive research demonstrating how school policies and curricula have the ability to exacerbate inequality, legitimize discrimination, and even motivate violence against marginalized groups. Accordingly, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, American Civil Liberties Union, National Education Association, and the US Department of Education - among many other national and international organizations - argue for the transparent support of LGBTQIA+ students as imperative for their academic development and social, emotional, and physical health. 

Principal Paul Marquis’s statement that “St. Thomas Aquinas High School upholds the dignity and worth of every person,” is misleading at best, hypocritical at worst. What then, of the dignity and worth of the teachers whose contracts were not renewed without explanation?  What then, of the dignity and worth of the students who are members or allies of the LGBTQIA+ community?  What then, of the dignity and worth of the transgender and gender diverse students who are being told that their very existence is “not possible” per the “Person and Identity Project?” To invalidate another person’s identity is directly contrary to upholding “the dignity and worth of every person.”

The actions and statements of the school administration over the last year appear to be truly contrary to our professed -- and practiced -- moral creed. In addition, it has become apparent that the governance of the school has grown increasingly insular, and will abide no dissension in its ranks or otherwise.

Consequently, we call for decisive action from St. Thomas Aquinas High School and the Diocese of Manchester. We seek the following:

• Rescind all offers of employment provided to Mr. Paul Marquis;
• Remove the members of the Board of Trustees of St Thomas Aquinas High School from all positions of trust and oversight of any and all diocesan schools, but especially from the Board of St Thomas Aquinas High School;
• Barring all current members of the Board of Trustees of St Thomas Aquinas for a period of not less than five years from any position of authority over or oversight of any diocesan school;
• Have a neutral third party not connected to either STA or the Diocese, either directly or indirectly, review the decision to end the employment of any faculty or staff member released in the past six weeks;
• Issue a fervent and public apology to any faculty or staff member found to have been let go improperly, including an option to return to their former post - with any attendant back pay;
• Invite those members of faculty or staff who have resigned the option to return without loss of pay or seniority;
• Issue an apology to the student body;
• Issue an apology to both the alumni in particular and the public at large;
• Dissolve the present Corporation delegated authority over St Thomas Aquinas High School, to be reconstituted in an open manner involving the input of the Diocese, current and former staff, current and former students, and the broader STA community;
• Permit and encourage the creation of a Faculty Senate;
• Include, at minimum, one member either of the Faculty Senate or of the faculty and staff members of St Thomas Aquinas High School to any future Board of Trustees or other similarly empowered body;
• Create either an advisory or fully-empowered position on any future Board of Trustees or similarly empowered body to be held by a student who is a member of an upper level class, the position to be elected from and by the overall Student Body, hereinafter this position is referred to as the “Student Representative;”
• Not permit any student whose parent is a member of any future Board of Trustees or similarly empowered body to stand for election to the position of Student Representative;
• Require any future Board of Trustees or similarly empowered body to maintain transparent and complete records of its meetings in an easily accessible and searchable format;
• Require all meetings of any future Board of Trustees or similarly empowered body to be regularly scheduled, with advance notice of the same, and attendance by stakeholders permitted;
• We call for the Administration to make known its official stance on LGBTQIA+ students/staff with a written policy. If this stance includes that the Administration or the Diocese claim exemption from Title IX as a religious institution, then that too shall be clearly and publicly stated for prospective and current parents, students, and other stakeholders, so that they may make an informed decision. 

We conclude with an assertion of our peaceful intent. Although we find the recent events abhorrent and fear the current trajectory of STA’s administrators, we do not condone violence in any form. We pose no physical harm or threat to the administration, the faculty, or especially the students at STA, and any implication otherwise is a misguided attempt to diminish and detract from the valid concerns we raise. 

We will always endeavor to keep the true spirit and ethos of St Thomas Aquinas, as we know it should be, alive. We will always work to keep that spirit in the hearts of each and every member of our Community, regardless of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Lux in Tenebris Sumus