Selwyn House better not stonewall

One can only dare imagine the school administration's horror upon learning the news! Here's a venerable Westmount institution celebrating its centennial year, once again mired in controversy of the worst kind for any school – much less a school that charges close to $18,000 a year in tuition fees.

At the same time that Selwyn House is regrouping and engaging in damage control, NDG is also experiencing its own shock at the news. At the same time Doucet was endearing himself to school administrators, parents and students, he was also a well-respected and well-liked choirmaster at St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish on NDG Avenue. His wife of five years sang in the choir. He also filled in as organist and choirmaster at St. Monica's Catholic Church on Terrebonne Avenue. A number of local parishioners were in obvious shock when recently interviewed by the media and understandably so.

While one must always be presumed innocent before proven guilty, it's inevitable that talk and speculation has commenced. How can this possibly be a case of mistaken identity, one wonders. How can the benefit of the doubt be given when so many signs seem to be pointing to a conclusion no one dares reach?

Let's face it, schools and churches have unfortunately been favourite playgrounds of many a pedophile and having people come forward to attest to Doucet's likeability does not, in any way, decrease the seed of doubt growing in people's minds. Sadly, we've all seen and heard the "but he was such a nice/quiet/neighbourly guy" line on the 6 o'clock news before. In many cases, describing people who committed the most atrocious of acts.

With so much at stake here – the teacher's reputation and life, the school's reputation and future, and most importantly, lest we forget in the media circus that will undoubtedly unfold any possible young victims at Selwyn or elsewhere- it is imperative that the school not stonewall.

In the age of the internet, instant information, YouTube and Google, news (especially bad news) travels fast in the 21st century. Pulling up the gates and circling the wagons doesn't work anymore. Selwyn's credibility will be shattered if it's found to be skirting the truth or misinforming the public. If the school motto is "Veritas" it behoves the institution (and it's in everyone's best interest) that it adheres to the Truth. For everyone's sake.