Holy Redeemer official in Milz controversy goes to Sem

The following article appeared in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, August 5, 2008:

Holy Redeemer official in Milz controversy goes to Sem

WILKES-BARRE – Holy Redeemer High School Academic Vice Principal Robert Beviglia is resigning and going across the river to work at Wyoming Seminary. Beviglia hit the headlines when Catholic teachers union president Michael Milz insisted the vice principal had made statements proving the diocese laid off Milz because of his union activities.

Milz made those claims on July 18, backed by two parents with children at Holy Redeemer. All three said Beviglia had told them things that proved the diocese deliberately targeted Milz, and tried to cover the action by laying off other teachers at the same time, intending to bring one of those laid-off teachers back.

At the time, Beviglia referred all questions to diocese spokesman Bill Genello, and the diocese issued a statement repeating its insistence that Milz, a teacher at Holy Redeemer for 33 years, was laid off due to declining enrollment and because he had lowest seniority in his department, social studies. In July, Holy Redeemer Principal James Redington denied all the allegations leveled by Milz.

On Monday, Beviglia declined comment on his resignation, but Redington confirmed it. “He submitted a very complimentary letter of resignation thanking the entire Holy Redeemer community for the kindness and support we have shown him and his family,” Redington said. “And we thank him as well. I had the opportunity to do that personally this morning.”
Redington said no pressure had been put on Beviglia since July 18, and the resignation had “nothing to do with past developments.

But Milz saw things differently. “I don’t know how he could have continued working at Holy Redeemer, having been the person who exposed the conspiracy that led to my dismissal and to the unnecessary layoff of another teacher. I’m surprised he made it through the past two weeks.”

Milz said he is “happy” Beviglia landed a new position, and that “Bob was somebody of great value to Holy Redeemer and to Catholic education.” Milz repeated his contention that Redington and diocesan Superintendent of Schools Joe Casciano are the ones who should resign, not Beviglia. “We were hoping that he would be the one who remained, the only person who showed a shred of integrity.”

Milz is head of the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers, the union that represented many local Catholic teachers until last year, when the diocese restructured the system, taking control of the schools from local boards and parishes and putting them under four regional school boards.