A ‘lesson learned’ when group was ‘not as forthcoming as they needed to be,’ principal says
Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
A Vancouver principal said his school was uninformed when it invited a group affiliated with the Church of Scientology to speak to a student assembly last month about human rights.
John Bevacqua, of St. Patrick regional secondary school, said he hadn’t been aware that Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is part of the Scientology movement until it was brought to his attention by a staff member shortly after the group finished its presentation.
“It was very unfortunate that they were not as forthcoming as they needed to be,” he said of YHRI. “It was a lesson learned.” The group was invited into the school on the recommendation of students who had heard representatives speak at a conference and were impressed with the message. The students gained the support of teacher sponsors, who vouched for the group and extended the invitation, Bevacqua said.