Letters to the Editor: Shut down Mater Dei. It’s the Christian thing to do

To the editor: As a 1988 graduate of Mater Dei High School who was sexually abused while a student there, I have only one thought after reading about the latest sexual abuse lawsuit against the school:

Why is that campus still open?

Survivors, lawsuits, school statements and police reports have exposed decades of sexual abuse, violence, hazing, petty retribution, institutional rot and a “cultish” atmosphere that exploits the weak and vulnerable.

All the Heisman Trophies in the world will never make up for a single victimized child.

It’s time that the Diocese of Orange aligns its priorities with the Christian values it claims to uphold. It’s time to clean up or shut down Mater Dei.

Joelle Casteix, Newport Beach

The writer is spokeswoman for the California chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

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To the editor: I was a student at Mater Dei from 1969-73. The most significant lesson I learned from the school was the double standard.

A football player could do no wrong. Other students got expelled for minor infractions. Footballers got their wrists slapped.

The Diocese of Orange should have learned by now that relying so heavily on sports to pay the bills leads to significant problems. A Catholic school should be modeling true Christian principles, not the double standard.

Kathy Kunysz, Altadena