Seton Keough High School
Seton Keough High School was an all-girls college preparatory private, Roman Catholic high school in Baltimore, Maryland. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, at 1201 Caton Avenue. It was founded in 1988 after the joining of the two schools, Archbishop Keough and Seton High School. In 2016 the Archdiocese of Baltimore confirmed that settlements had been paid to past students of the school who were sexually abused by Father Joseph Maskell, a priest and counsellor at the school from 1967 to 1975. The school closed in June 2017.[2]
| Seton Keough High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
1201 Caton Avenue , 21227 United States | |
| Coordinates | 39°16′9″N 76°39′58″W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, all-girls |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1965 |
| Closed | June 2017 |
| President | Donna Bridickas |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 12:1 |
| Color(s) | Forest Green & Grey |
| Slogan | Think Respect, Sending Forth Women of Honor |
| Athletics | 12 varsity sports, 6 JV |
| Mascot | Gators |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1] |
| Dean of Academics | Ms. Lauren Urban |
| Website | www |
Sexual abuse
In 2016, the Archdiocese of Baltimore confirmed that settlements totaling $472,000 had been paid to 16 past students of the school who were sexually abused by Father Joseph Maskell, a priest at the school from 1967 to 1975.[3][4][5]
In 1969, a popular English and drama teacher at Archbishop Keough, Sister Cathy Cesnik, was found murdered in the outskirts of the city of Baltimore. Her murder was never solved and is the central subject of the 2017 Netflix documentary web series The Keepers. The abuses by priests at the school were also featured in the documentary in relation to the potential cover-up of the murder of Cesnik, who shortly before her death had been told by female students of the abuse. The documentary cited that over a hundred former students came forward to provide testimony on rape, sexual misconduct, and molestation.[6][7]
Closure
On October 26, 2016, the Archdiocese of Baltimore announced that the school would close in June 2017.[2] The decision was reached as a result of an 18-month study of 22 Catholic schools in and around Baltimore. Conducted by consulting firms Ayers Saint Gross, DataStory and Fielding Nair International, the study examined school facilities, enrollment, and projected demographic data and potential areas of growth. The study identified three schools for closure due to under-enrollment and/or facility condition, including Seton Keough.[2]
Notable alumnae
- Theresa Andrews, Olympic swimmer[8]
- Sister Bernadette Armiger, nursing administrator and mental health advocate.
- Elizabeth Bobo, former Howard County executive, member of the Maryland House of Delegates
- Asya Bussie, professional basketball player for Minnesota Lynx
References
- MSA-CSS. "MSA-Commission on Secondary Schools". Archived from the original on 2009-03-25. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
- "Archdiocese Announces Results of Master Planning Study of Baltimore Catholic Schools". www.archbalt.org. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
- "Baltimore archdiocese pays settlements to a dozen people alleging abuse by late priest". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
- "Baltimore archdiocese pays settlements to a dozen people alleging abuse by late priest". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
- Knezevich, Alison (6 June 2017). "'Keepers' priest Maskell spent time in Ireland, now under scrutiny". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
- "Is This Netflix Docuseries the Next Making a Murderer?". Vogue. April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- "On the dark trail of Fr Joseph Maskell, subject of 'The Keepers' documentary who fled US amid child abuse allegations"
- Staedman, John. "What Theresa Andrews has now is far more precious than gold". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
