From The New York Times:
Regis High School, one of the most prominent Catholic schools in the country, said it planned to fire the Jesuit priest who serves as its president after an investigation found he had engaged in sexual misconduct involving several adults, including school employees.
The Rev. Daniel Lahart, who has been president of Regis, a prestigious all-boys school in Manhattan, since 2016, has been on administrative leave since late February, the school said in a statement. His firing will be effective April 21, the school said.
“The investigation is now coming to a close, and the board of trustees has determined, based on the findings of the third party investigator, that Fr. Lahart engaged in inappropriate and unwelcome verbal communications and physical conduct, all of a sexual nature, with adult members of the Regis community, including subordinates,” Anthony DiNovi, the chairman of the board of trustees, wrote in an email to the school community on Sunday.
He added: “This conduct was nonconsensual, and moreover, continued notwithstanding express requests from the affected parties for the conduct to cease.”
The removal of Father Lahart comes at a delicate moment for the Roman Catholic Church. All its dioceses in New York State are under investigation by the New York State attorney general, Letitia James, for handling of sexual misconduct…
…Mr. DiNovi said in the statement on Sunday that Father Lahart had declined to participate in the investigation of his conduct, which was conducted by an outside firm, T&M USA. Citing privacy rules, he said the school would release no further information about the investigation or its findings.
“Please know the board did not come to its decision lightly and took seriously its obligation to act with transparency, integrity and compassion in service of our community, both with respect to Fr. Lahart and to those members of our community who were harmed by his conduct,” he wrote. “We are committed to ensuring a safe, respectful and caring workplace for all current and future Regis staff members.”
Regis High School is the most prestigious Catholic school in New York, with a long list of notable alumni that includes Dr. Anthony S. Fauci and the actor Colin Jost. It does not charge tuition, and its graduates routinely go on to attend the top public and private universities in the country.
