Patrick and Annette Patterson

In Defense of Patrick Patterson of Roanoke Catholic Schools

It has been a bit more than a week since Roanoke Catholic Schools announced the dismissal of its Head of School Patrick Patterson and Associate Head of School Nicole Lieber, and to this point, there has been little defense of Patterson and Lieber. WDBJ has done the only report of the dismissals that I’m aware of (other than Facebook posts), and its coverage has weighed heavily on the side of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond’s decision that the school “has determined that Roanoke Catholic Schools … would benefit from a new leadership approach.”

There was no further word from the diocese for the reasons behind the firings, but WDBJ quotes several parents (anonymously). In cases like this, non-disclosure agreements are common, giving dismissed employees monetary benefits for their silence. Patrick declined to talk to me about the reasons for his dismissal. Others, however, were eager to defend a man they consider to have been a strong and creative leader, a man of solid ethical base, and a role model.

I have known the Patterson family for years and it would never have occurred to me that Patrick was anything less than a visionary, a strong leader, a kind and forceful personality, a man whose primary professional attention was to the students. His wife, Annette, is one of the most influential and creative business leaders in the region and his kids are a delight, young women who are making their mark on the Valley.

I reached out to a number of people with close association to Roanoke Catholic over the years, including one who was part of the committee that hired Patrick some years ago, and without exception, they were shocked at the dismissal and supportive of Patrick. Not all were willing to go on the record, but they gave positive assessments of Patrick.

There is quite a bit of rumor filtering through the RCS community. I have found that Patterson shared information with the diocese about a smear campaign being pursued against him by a parent. Apparently, internal documents about students with identified disabilities were leaked outside of the school community and Patterson and his close associates told the diocese about them. This is the kind of information that circulates—whether or not true—in a dysfunctional system.

WDBJ reported that some “teachers say they felt a lack of support from administration, which led to some staff leaving. Some parents say they’ve considered removing their children from Roanoke Catholic as well.” The TV report featured only octogenarian Jerry Ewbank, who never worked with Patterson. He retired from RCS in 2001 and Patterson didn’t go to work there until 2010.

From what I’ve learned, the initial news source for WDBJ’s story works at the station.

When Patterson took over RCS in 2010, it was near death. There were fewer than 200 students registered to return and the budget that year was for 400 students. The school had 90 days to turn it around or the Bishop was reportedly ready to close the school in June 2011. Patterson saved RCS with some creative and thoughtful administration.

During his years, he was promoted to Regional Associate Superintendent, a first for the 200-year-old diocese. He served in a leadership role to administrators and faculty from Charlottesville to Bristol. He was on the Diocesan School Board and the diocesan accreditation review committee. He was selected to serve on the superintendent interview teams for the two most recent superintendents selected by the bishops of Richmond.

Paul Yengst, in a letter to Patterson, wrote that he was “disappointed to hear of your dismissal from Roanoke Catholic School. As the chairman of the committee that recruited you for the position, I have kept an eye on happenings on the hill. You told me once that ‘if you’re not green and growing, you’re brown and dying.’  I have certainly seen the green and growing at RCS.

“From the graduation rate, college scholarship awards, initiating of a building trades program and an aviation program, to the gym refurbishment, grounds improvements, energy innovations—and I could go on—Roanoke Catholic is a better school because of you. … From my perspective you have far surpassed what the committee expected in 2010. I think the School will be diminished by your absence.”

Frank Toney and his wife, Angela, are past school parents and current board members. Says Frank, “I have found [Patterson] to be nothing but man of integrity, He is a good communicator, a great leader. He saved the school, and he is a great business leader.

“I have seen him navigate quite a bit. He’s a compassionate man. He is more concerned with the less fortunate and he has a heart for those who are less than [others] … He is definitely concerned about the minority [and that is] not always the case dealing with Roanoke Catholic. … He made [the school] more a family than it was a school. It will be their loss that he’s no longer there. The school won’t be as strong as it was.”

Peter Radjou, Roanoke Catholic Schools’ chef and owner of Food Fanatics Kitchen, says Patrick is “a great administrator. I have great respect for him. I was surprised [at his dismissal] and I, pray for him. [The dismissal] does not change opinion. Definitely not.”

The silver lining in all this back-stabbing of a worthy man is that he is happy, relaxed and waking every morning eager to go to work at his Vinton gun shop, Pollard Street Pawn and Gun. He is working full-time there now.

All the while, a lot of those of us who have held RCS in high regard for a number of years, no longer do so. And that’s a damn shame. This is an ugly story, one where a good man suffered for doing a good job. The Pattersons have my support and my prayers going forward. They will be fine because they are good people.