Targeting the 'Times'

Your December 19, 2003, editorial ("Waiting") refers to a November 25, 2003, New York Times story about Robert P. Scamardo, formerly general counsel for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston. The editorial asks: "How true Scamardo's accusations are about the Galveston-Houston Diocese, and how accurately might they reflect what is still going on in dioceses across the country?"

Scamardo has said that, at least in one instance, he was either misquoted or very much misunderstood by Times reporter Laurie Goodstein. The Times story states that following his return to work from residential treatment, Scamardo "felt awkward.... While he had been a frequent visitor to Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza's office, now he could not get in." In fact, Bishop Fiorenza was very concerned about Scamardo. When Scamardo informed the bishop that he needed to take a month off for residential treatment, Fiorenza offered to pay his full salary and benefits and continued to do so for the nearly three months Scamardo was in residential treatment. Scamardo told me that he later informed a Houston Chronicle reporter that Fiorenza never made him feel unwelcome or refused to see him. Scamardo also chastised a local television station that did a follow-up on the Times article for "failing to acknowledge the positive steps Bishop Fiorenza has taken."

Goodstein never asked the diocese to respond to the allegation that Bishop Fiorenza had refused to see Scamardo. When she called, she only asked for a quote about "Robert Scamardo as a person and employee." As Scamardo's former supervisors, the bishop and chancellor chose not to violate our diocesan policy of respecting the privacy of lay employees by not discussing employee issues with the media. Had we known the substance of the allegations contained in the story, we certainly would have responded with the facts. I applaud Commonweal for realizing that just because something appears in the New York Times does not necessarily guarantee that it is fit to print.

ANNETTE GONZALES TAYLOR

Houston, Tex.

The writer is director of communications for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston.

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