Kids, parents lobby church over firing of principal Bob Herring, winner of NPCA Global Educator Award
Kids, parents lobby church
By Roy Wood
Post staff reporter
Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk met with four members of Nativity Church in Pleasant Ridge this morning after more than 200 people swarmed archdiocese offices to lobby the church leaders to reverse the firing of longtime Nativity School Principal Robert Herring.
"The Rev. Marc Sherlock (above) abruptly fired Herring Monday afternoon, telling faculty only that the decision resulted from a difference in philosophy between the priest and the principal.
The crowd included Nativity students who were off school today for the start of the Thanksgiving break.
PTA president Mike Garry and other parishioners met with the Rev. Joseph Binzer, chancellor, and Brother Joseph Kamis, director of educational services, and came back to tell a crowd that had gathered in a seventh-floor lobby that the group would have to seek a meeting with Bishop Carl Moeddel or Pilarczyk.
Mark McLaughlin was among parishioners insisting on answers. "Father Marc completely went around the pastoral counsel, education committee, the PTA. There was no collaborative effort.
"The statement I think we're making here is, 'That is a wrong decision. -- We want to make a change, and we want Bob Herring back in our school on Monday."
After more than 2½ hours, archdiocese spokesman Dan Andriacco was able to arrange a meeting between four parishioners and the archbishop. That meeting was continuing late this morning
About 350 people turned out Monday night for a hastily called rally for Herring, less than six hours after he was fired by the pastor of Nativity parish in Pleasant Ridge.
The pastor and the principal had a meeting near the end of the school day Monday, parents said, and when Herring rejected Sherlock's ultimatum that he resign, Sherlock fired him and had him escorted out of the school. Sherlock broke the news to the Nativity faculty shortly afterward.
At the rally Monday night in the school gymnasium, the parish's pastoral council, education committee and PTA agreed to back an effort to have Herring, principal at the school for 16 years, restored to the position.
"Our goal is to have him reinstated by Monday," said Garry. "Bob Herring is widely loved in this parish."
Garry said he and other lay leaders met with Sherlock later Monday afternoon, and he would give few details about the reasons for his action.
"But we know that there was no mention of violation of policy, no mention of criminal activity," Garry said.
Dave Hermann, a Pleasant Ridge resident whose children are in the first, third and sixth grades at the school, said a letter went out to parents Monday explaining that Herring had been dismissed for "philosophical differences" with Sherlock.
They planned to invite archdiocesan officials to talk about the matter at 8 p.m. today at the school.
"We'll give them our reasons for reinstatement," Garry said. "That is, his efforts are beyond reproach and the kids come out of Nativity well educated, not only in academics, but in Christian values."
Hermann said he thought the timing of the firing was calculated to coincide with the start of the school's Thanksgiving break.
"The timing was not coincidental," Hermann said. "He (Sherlock) was hoping this would blow over by the time school was back in Monday."
But Hermann said parents plan to turn out at the school Monday morning to protest if their efforts on behalf of Herring have not gotten results by then.
Garry said Nativity has been a part of his family for decades. He and all five of his siblings went to school there, and now has two of his children there.
"Nativity has been a family tradition," he said. "I hope that's not changed by bad decision-making."
