Thomson: The treatment of my former St. Thomas Aquinas colleagues is indefensible

Jeffrey Thomson
Updated ·3 min read
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This letter is written from the perspective of a St. Thomas Aquinas High School parent of three graduates,  serving on the Parent Advisory Board/School Board from 1999-2006, and as a member of the school's faculty and History Department chair there from 2004-2015.

The treatment by the current school administration of my former colleagues is indefensible, especially when one considers that the mission statement of the school is centered on the values of decency and caring found in the gospel teachings of Christ. While the longer term ramifications of that treatment will certainly be debated further this summer, the focus of this correspondence will be on the obvious professional decline of faculty moving forward.

Jeff Thomson
Jeff Thomson

From the time of the opening of its doors in 1960, St. Thomas Aquinas High School has served as the premier, moderately priced, college preparatory private school in the Seacoast area. It also was a Catholic high school performing in the centuries-old tradition of higher Catholic education. Over the decades, 30 to 35 percent of the student enrollment would be non-Catholic-various Protestant sects, Jewish, and families that were unchurched. Parents of these students knew that a campus ministry program existed, theology courses would be offered, and the mission of serving others would be stressed. Classes always began with a short prayer or reflection.

While this "aspect of Catholicism" was important, I believe parents placed their children in the care of STA because they knew their children would be academically challenged and loved ... "tough love" for me sometimes as a faculty member, but for all of us the goal was to send 18-year-olds out into the world with the ability to think critically, question as needed, and to be good, caring humans.

Recent events have moved STA in a very different direction. Seventy years of English teaching experience left the building on May 30. It was going to be difficult enough to replace an outstanding long-term department chair moving into retirement, but now three additional department vacancies exist. Two long-time theology instructors departed — one of them whose contract was not renewed and the other resigning in protest of peer treatment. The campus minister resigned. A 28-year social studies educator and alumni is not offered a new contract. The previous academic year, the Theology Department chair was forced out and the music instructor was left with no choice but to resign. Many faculty who remain are actively seeking other employment opportunities.

What is the impact of the aforementioned actions? A significant decline in the quality of STA faculty and the corresponding experience for students moving forward. Families need to understand that the STA of long-standing tradition and excellence no longer exists. Parents of returning STA students and those exploring options for their middle school children need to be aware of this.

Clearly Mr. James Broom (chair of the STA board of trustees) and Mr. Paul Marquis (the school president) desire to erase all memory and tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas High School prior to the 2020-2021 academic year. How sad and unholy.

While I have heard from many of my former students in the past month, one young man's comment, in particular, speaks for so many: "STA was such a beacon of discourse and challenging each other's thoughts. To see it go down like this is really painful."

Jeffrey Thomson lives in Kittery, Maine.

More coverage of departures and controversy at St. Thomas Aquinas High School:

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Thomson: The treatment of my former STA colleagues is indefensible