Last week, I witnessed a great miscarriage of justice at Our Lady of Victory pre-school program, where my granddaughter was a student. As many people know four longtime employees had their contracts discontinued and were escorted off school property one week before school was to end for the summer.

As several parents and guardians, including myself, appeared to withdraw their children and pick up their personal items, police were called and asked us to leave. At this point, the church/school leader, Father Hauser, appeared and told us there would be a meeting that evening to address the parents and he would answer questions and respond to parental concerns. My concern, besides my granddaughter, was why these apparently well-respected long term employees were suddenly released for the next school year and why they were so rudely told to leave the school property (and not return) while classes were still in session. Were they criminals, had they done some desperate act to a child in their care? What were we to think? Parents and grandparents would get their answer that night.

Father Hauser addressed the audience of angry and upset parents. Throughout the meeting, Father was asked why the change in personnel. We were told he had a "vision" for the new direction the school should take. He was asked repeatedly what his vision was, but he could not or would not answer. He was asked if there was a "five year" plan for the future of the school's program. Once again the was no answer. I asked him if there was a Board of Directors or Shared Decision Making committee that reached a consensus on the future "direction" of the school. I was told only he and Miss Nicki (the first-year director) had come to the conclusion a new "direction" was to be taken.

I understand that the school has a right to make personnel changes and embark on a new "direction." One of my problems is that the affected teachers were never told what the new "direction" was or given an opportunity to adapt to the new vision.

How does a non-educator and a first-year teacher get to decide a new "direction" without the input of the most important ingredients of the school: the children, parents, and veteran teachers? How can you have a vision or plan but not be able to express it? I hope the plan was not to dismiss a caring and loving group of dedicated professionals just to have highly educated people on staff with little or no experience.

Father Hauser continued to stress all decisions were made in the best interest of the students. How could he be so wrong? While I do applaud Father Hauser for taking more than a cursory look at the school program and how things could be improved, how he went about "his mission" is not educationally sound or based on Christian values. He treated a beloved and respected staff as though they were worthless trash to be thrown out with the morning garbage. No regard was given to the feelings of the staff, students, or parents.

I will pray for Father Hauser with the hope he will see the gross injustice he has allowed to happen and finds the strength to right the wrongs that have been committed in the name of progress. The repercussions of these ill-thought-out decisions will diminish the wonderful reputation that the staff worked so many years to establish.