Dudley Done No Right By Alemany’s Decision

Like numerous others, I am shocked at the horrible injustice of Dudley Rooney being fired from Alemany High.

He was my seventh-grade teacher at St. Didacus. As the first male teacher our class ever had, Rooney was an excellent example of a mature, responsible, hard-working, Catholic, family man.

He was also the first adult male who made me realize that being a girl and being athletic is nothing to be ashamed about. Rooney opened up a whole new world for my sister and me, suggesting we play on his softball team in the very competitive Sepulveda Park League.

Rooney is incapable of doing anything that would warrant his firing. He is the epitome of the ideal role model. He is a champion of the underdog and doesn’t tolerate injustice.

When a seventh-grade boy was routinely picked on, Rooney handled the situation better than any teacher I ever had. He diplomatically sent the boy on an errand, then very effectively made it clear to the rest of us that we’d have him to deal with if we continued our rude behavior.

Unlike many teachers and coaches, Rooney didn’t gain his popularity by being friends with his students at the expense of showing leadership and setting standards. Unless you do your best, he doesn’t hesitate to show his disapproval and disappointment.

Rooney is exactly the kind of leader that every school, especially a Catholic one, should feel fortunate to have.

Until this action is reversed, I will remain thoroughly ashamed of the Archdiocese.

CELIA MORABIT

Northridge

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We have had children attending Alemany High for seven years. We believe that the administrators and teachers have always strived to provide a wonderful, spiritual learning environment for our daughters.

We feel that the termination of Rooney is a great loss for Alemany. Rooney has proven his dedication and love for the students. We understand the Archdiocese is trying to recover from an unfortunate situation with the hiring of Darryl McDonald, but we do not see how Rooney can be held solely responsible.

It is obvious that McDonald was very deceitful in his application for a position at Alemany. It is also obvious that a mistake was made in hiring McDonald, but we do not see how firing a dedicated teacher makes up for that mistake. We believe Rooney would never knowingly put our children at risk.

We sincerely ask that you reconsider your decision and reinstate Rooney in his position at Alemany. Our main concern should be the welfare of our children. We believe that firing a dedicated, supportive teacher like Rooney is not to the benefit of our children or Alemany.

JAMES E. STRONG

JULIE STRONG

Van Nuys