Parents seek answers after removal of Charleston Catholic School principal

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Parents of students at Charleston Catholic School are asking for answers and transparency after the school’s longtime principal was unexpectedly removed.

Fred McKay had served the school for 18 years before being let go on Nov. 5 with concerned parents saying the news was shocking.

At a school with less than 200 students, over 500 parents signed an online petition asking the school for a specific reason behind why McKay was let go in the middle of the school year.

“Why was he dismissed in such a harsh manner, you know, we love Fred,” David Moore, parent to two Charleston Catholic School students, said. “We want to know what happened. The welfare of our kids is what’s most important to us; it doesn’t feel like that’s the message coming from the school.”

Moore said his daughter first told him the news before an email was sent to caregivers.

“I was just shocked,” Moore said. “It was immediate; no warning, no nothing.”

A letter from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston was sent to parents on Nov. 7 and reads in part “Please know that Fred has not been accused of any misconduct or impropriety, and he leaves with our respect and genuine gratitude for his devotion and dedication.”

Following that letter, McKay sent a letter to families on Nov. 9 that read in part, “Endings are rarely easy and smooth, and certainly the timing of my departure has not been ideal.”

Parents are extremely upset and shocked that McKay was dismissed in such a harsh manner and Moore said communication from the school has been very sporadic and not aligned following the decision.

“We want transparency; we want to know exactly what happened. We want an investigation into any other misconduct, that may or may not have happened,” Moore said. “The letter from the diocese says that Fred is loved, cherished and he’s not been accused of any wrongdoing, which we appreciate, but on the other side we want to know.”

McKay was hired at the Charleston Catholic School in 2006 and some parents said they enrolled their children in the school solely because of McKay’s leadership and reputation.

“The reason that most people were at that school was because of Frederick McKay; that’s the reason why my kids are there.”

With students of the Charleston Catholic School being from preschool to eighth grade, Moore asked how do you even explain the confusing situation to children.

“The other issue that I have, personally, is that I now have to have conversations with my kids about why things aren’t transparent and how you know what they believe is true? They have to make up their own mind,” Moore said. “We shouldn’t have to explain something that you don’t even know what happened.”

When Live 5 reached out to McKay to get his side of the story, he said that he signed an NDA when leaving the school.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston released the following statement in response:

“Fred McKay served Charleston Catholic School well for 18 years, and we are grateful for his service. But in the past year, the school experienced financial challenges from a sharp decline in enrollment, so in August new priests were appointed to lead the school. After a careful review of the situation, the school administrator determined that the time had come to bring in new leadership, and so a nationwide search is currently underway to find the next principal who will strengthen the school’s identity and mission. During this transition the diocesan Catholic Schools Office is working closely with the interim principal to provide support to the entire CCS community.”