School Embroiled In Violence Cover Up

A former dean of Christ the King Regional High School is suing the principal for covering up violent incidents at the school and endangering students, teachers and administrators.
The dean of sophomores, Andrea Rizzo, was fired as dean in June 200, said Principal Michael Lynch ignored a bomb threat directed at her and refused to contact police or inform teachers and parents. The bomb threat was one of many violent incidents Lynch tried to keep secret since he was hired as principal in 2000, according to Rizzo and other former Christ the King employees.
Reverend Anthony Ercolano, the schools spiritual advisor for 15 years, is a witness in Rizzos suit against the school and said he also saw violence that was later covered up by school officials. In one instance, the school administration failed to call the police after the slashing of several students at a school dance, he said.
"On numerous occasions members of the Regional faculty came to me addressing safety concerns at Regional," said Ercolano in an affidavit. In an interview, he said he had left the school in June to join a Flushing parish for reasons unrelated to the lawsuit, but added of his tenure at Christ the King, "I never felt unsafe."
The former assistant principal, Edward Bolan, has also accused Lynch of illegally trying to hide violent incidents at the school in order to protect the schools public image. In his affidavit in support of Rizzos lawsuit, he said, "I witnessed Principal Lynch unnecessarily expose the school children and the entire Regional community, including my own family, to dangerous and unlawful situations."
According to Bolan, Lynch responded to a student who pulled a knife on another student by insisting the confrontation be hidden from the police and the public. Bolan also said Lynch pushed him to drop charges against a Christ the King student who was making threatening phone calls to his house.
Rizzo wrote a letter to State Senator Serphin Maltese, chairman of the schools board of trustees, about the incidents before she was fired. According to Rizzo, he responded by saying she had performed well as dean.
Maltese, Principal Lynch and other school officials could not be reached, although in a previous statement, the schools attorney said they would have no comment while the lawsuit was underway.
sarah@queenscourier.com