York Catholic High School - Controversy

Controversy

York Catholic has not been without controversy. Most notably, its administration is often accused of overstepping its bounds in regards to student discipline. Beginning in 2010, the administration began requiring that all females attending the homecoming or prom dances submit a picture of themselves in their dresses to ensure compliance with the school's established dress code. The Director of Students (male) oversees dress code violations, however, after several complaints, a female faculty member was selected to review the photos.

Another area of contention is the seeming inconsistent punishment over strict rules. For example, there have been countless cases of one student receiving a "slap on the wrist" while another is given detention when they both committed the same offense. For example, the dress code requires that "all students be in uniform upon entering the school building." After this rule was established, many students received detention for something as simple as having a button undone in the morning. However, the basketball players were frequently given free passes when they arrived in the morning to play basketball with the vice principal. Inconsistent punishment has also been seen when one student involved in a fight received one day of detention when multiple students receive multiple days for simple violations such as not having hair of appropriate length.

York Catholic's administration has also been accused of violating student privacy. Several cases have occurred where, after a student has graduated and gone on to college, the administration has contacted that student's parents if the school has been notified of something inappropriate appearing on the student's Facebook page. Students are educated throughout their time at York Catholic of the public's access to their internet accounts and the dangers and consequences postings can bring.

Perhaps the most controversial of topics is York Catholic administration's handling of cell phone offenses. When a cell phone is confiscated for disruption of class, the vice principal has, many times, gone through that student's cell phone. Not only is this illegal, but it also raises serious questions of student privacy. When one student refused to provide his password, he was threatened with expulsion. These tactics have led to several cases of charging students with possession of child pornography due to "sexting." No student at York Catholic has been charged.

As of March 2012,York Catholic has again involved itself in controversy regarding invasion of privacy. If the administration sees a post on a social network site that reflects negatively upon the school or simply something they disagree with, the student is called to the principal's office and disciplined. The monitoring invades students' right to privacy, especially when the posts are an expression of free speech. Students have also previously been forced to log into their social media accounts by the administration, an activity that not only violates privacy, but also violates Facebook's and other services' terms of service.

While no school is without controversy, all students who wish to attend York Catholic sign a contract prior to enrollment agreeing to abide by the rules and regulations of the school. Along with academics, it is stressed that a student's behavior at all times (in school and out of school) should reflect positively on themselves, their family, and their school.

In November 2006, York Catholic's girls' varsity basketball coach Andrew Bria was arrested in a prostitution sting. Bria resigned the day after the arrest, citing personal reasons.