Archbishop Aymond, friends of St. Aug meet for 3 hours over paddling; statements are expected Friday

Friends of St. Augustine High School and Archbishop Gregory Aymond are expected Friday to unveil some results from three hours of closed door talks Thursday that drew a congressman, a bank president and a judge, among others, to talk with Aymond about life at St. Augustine and its tradition of paddling students.

Matthew Hinton, The Times-PicayuneEveryone at the meeting wanted to make clear their commitment to St. Augustine and to recognize its tradition of excellence.

U.S. Rep Cedric Richmond who, with Liberty Bank President Alden McDonald helped facilitate the talks at archdiocesan headquarters, said the school and the Archdiocese of New Orleans would issue separate statements on the conversations Friday morning, apparently because Thursday's 2 p.m. meeting ran so long there was no time to craft a statement afterward.

Their presence indicated the importance of St.. Augustine in the community, as well as the temperature around Aymond’s desire to stop the school’s 59-year tradition of paddling students.

Aymond has said he wants the practice stopped as a matter of educational practice, and because it violates the Catholic ethos of the school, founded and operated by the Josephite order of priests and brothers. It is the only school continuing corporal punishment in the archdiocese, and the last Catholic high school in the country to be paddling students, Aymond has said.

But friends of St. Augustine, including parents, almuni and even students, have defended the practice as one of many disciplinary tools the school employs to notable success, given its record of turning out business and professional leaders for New Orleans and other cities.

Perhaps more importantly, champions of St. Augustine have bristled at Aymond’s concerns as disrespectful of the African-American community’s right to discipline its children according to its own norms, particularly in the absence of claims of abuse.

St. Augustine is currently operating under a ban on corporal punishment, enforced by the Josephites with Aymond’s concurrance over the objections of much of the local St. Aug community.

In the weeks since the issue became public, advocates for the practice have championed the tradition in many public venues. Last week an estimated 500 students, parents and alumni dressed in St. Augustine’s purple, marched on archdiocesan headquarters to demand reinstatement of the practice.

Troy Henry, the chairman of St.. Augustine’s board of directors, said Thursday’s talks ranged more widely than just the practice of paddling at St. Augustine, although he declined to elaborate.

He said Friday’s announcements would disclose some decisions, and would also indicate where continuing talks were needed.

“We got some significant things accomplished,” Henry said. “I feel good about where we're heading. I’m hopeful. I was encouraged by the meeting. But you’re never done until you’re done.”

After three hours of conversation, Aymond, Richmond, McDonald and others emerged together to issue a single statement saying that a foundation had been laid, some announcements would be made Friday, and more conversations about life at St. Augustine will be scheduled.

The meeting also included representatives from the Josephites; Regina Bartholomew, a parent; Principal Donald Boucree; Civil District Court Judge Kern Reese, a St. Aug alumnus; and attorney Daniel Davillier, a member of the board of directors.

In the absence of a more concrete announcement, Richmond said all the parties, Aymond included, wanted to make clear their commitment to St. Augustine and to recognize its tradition of excellence.

“We want to say we all agree on the significance that St.. Augustine plays in this community,” Richmond said. “It’s going to play it today; it's going to play it tomorrow and it's going to play it for all the tomorrows to come.

“St. Aug is not going anywhere and it’s going to continue to be a leader.”