Vice Principal, Counselor Resign From Mount St. Mary As School Concludes Independent Investigation

The interim principal of Mount St. Mary Catholic High School announced last week the resignations of two staff members.  

In a letter to parents and students, Diane Floyd said she accepted the resignations of Vice Principal Whitney Faires and Counselor Mallory Tecmire.  

“We expect all school administrators, faculty, and staff at The Mount to follow the Safe Environment protocol and school policy to appropriately report suspected abuse or harassment of minors,” Floyd wrote in the message on March 3.  

Last year, administrators began an internal investigation after 12 current and formers students wrote to the school saying it did not respond adequately after they reported incidents including sexual assault.  

Related: Mount St. Mary’s Catholic High School Looks Into Sexual Assault Allegations 

Floyd wrote in the letter last week that the interview investigation has concluded. Jessica Stiles, the director of communications for the school said in a statement that the school has formed the Voices for Human Dignity: A Mount St. Mary Task Force for Change.   

The task force has met four times since it was formed in January, Stiles said, and is reviewing updated policies and procedures that resulted from the internal investigation.  

“Since this is now a legal situation, there is only so much we can say,” Stiles said. “We are committed to strengthening our school and moving forward.  

Meanwhile an Oklahoma City attorney is preparing to file a civil lawsuit against the school for allegedly failing to protect students and report sexual assaults.  

Attorney Rachel Bussett said she is representing a group of about 15 current and former students and families.  

“Instead of taking action, those individuals were told such things as ‘boys will be boys’ or that what they said happened didn’t happen,” Bussett said. “These young ladies were made to apologize to the people that they allege assaulted them.”  

Bussett said she plans to file the lawsuit in the next month.