Cindy Mann took over the Head of School position in 2009. She had a vision to bring Padua into the 21st century via modernized curricula, expert and effective teaching faculty as well as through making changes to the school building itself. Since then, Padua’s reputation as a top-notch educational institution for young women in the tri-state area improved and grew, as did enrollment, finally reaching close to 700 students this academic year. For years, under Cindy’s guidance, Padua was the only high school in the Diocese of Wilmington with a waiting list. As a result, Padua’s fiscal strength also increased.

In the mid 2000s, the Diocese of Wilmington (DOW) was embroiled in scandal, the same scandal that would end in millions of dollars in restitution paid to victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by its clergy employees. The lawsuits made against the negligent and outright criminal acts of the DOW bankrupted it, and in turn robbed its lay employees, some of whom have dedicated their entire working lives to the education and protection of children, of their pensions.

As many of the Catholic elementary schools closed or consolidated, Padua continued to grow. The same cannot be said of St. Anthony’s School and the Parish. It is no secret that enrollment at the school is extremely low and financial support of the parish has therefore, decreased. The Parish is not financially stable, although Fr. Nick Waseline would visit Padua once a year to attempt to state the opposite.

The building that houses Padua Academy on 9th and N. Broom is owned by St. Anthony’s Parish, and essentially, Padua pays the Parish rent for its use. As Padua has become more successful, the rent on the building has steadily increased. Until now, Cindy has complied with the increases, and continued to try to make positive changes that obviously often required money and therefore, approval from the landlords down at St. Anthony’s. Cindy was hindered every step of the way by Fr. Nick and the Diocese, who saw Padua as a cash cow that they could control and extort, preventing Cindy from using the money earned through the changes she and the faculty were making for the benefit of the Academy, instead funneling the funds to the Parish.

When the time came this year to once again sign a rent increase, Cindy bravely refused, knowing the possible consequences. She could no longer increase tuition only to have the money seep down 9th street.

Many want Padua to become independent of the Diocese, as the relationship is one-way and offers little to no benefit to Padua Academy whatsoever and at this point, the relationship is only to the detriment of the Academy. Years after the sexual abuse lawsuits bankrupt the Diocese, Bishop Malooly was featured prominently as a participant in the cover-up of the sexual abuse endured by teenage girls and the murder of a whistle-blower nun at Seton Keough High School in Baltimore on the Netflix series, “The Keepers.” This obviously inspires no confidence in the Diocese and Padua’s continued forced relationship with the DOW is alarming and offensive to everyone who works tirelessly at Padua to educate, counsel, care for and empower the young women who attend the institution.

Cindy Mann is now synonymous with Padua Academy, as she should be. Were it not for her dedication and sacrifice, Padua would not be the thriving Catholic high school it is today, with a talented and committed faculty who adore their students.

I do not expect anyone from Padua to like this post and in fact, they should not for fear of retribution by their employer. I have the freedom to say these things because I no longer work there.

Reinstate Cindy Mann.

#pinkshoepower #theonlyMANNweneed