Fire JCA Teacher Jeremy Hylka, Update Curriculum: Alumni Group

JOLIET, IL —A new alumni group called Alumni Coalition for Change at Joliet Catholic Academy is calling for the removal of Joliet Catholic Academy theology teacher Jeremy Hylka, who is also faculty moderator for the JCA Respect Life Club, and a deacon/youth minister at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. Hylka is also director of the Joliet Weather Center.

Thursday's news release states that Hylka "liked a since-deleted Facebook post that supported violence against Black Lives Matter protestors. The school administration’s silence and failure to take disciplinary action on the matter are the primary catalysts behind the founding of the Alumni Coalition for Change at Joliet Catholic Academy," wrote Trevor Shelby, founder of the Alumni Coalition for Change at JCA.

Nowadays, Shelby is a student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. According to Shelby, the Alumni Coalition for Change recommends the following actions:

• Termination of Hylka, effective immediately.
• Updated English and United States History curriculums that acknowledge police brutality, slavery and systemic racism.
• Cultural diversity, sensitivity, and implicit bias training for current students, staff and incoming freshmen.
• Equal consideration for alumni scholarships and other grants beyond Empower Illinois.
• Improved hiring practices overseen by a Director of Equity and Inclusion that focus on hiring Black, Indigenous, People of Color educators to better represent the diversity of the student body.
• Resumption of the student teaching program with the University of St. Francis to provide opportunities to local students seeking a future in education.

Joliet Patch has reached out to Joliet Catholic administrative officials as well as Hylka for comment.

"The Joliet Catholic Academy administration has always been open to hearing parent, student, alumni and community concerns," Ryan Quigley, JCA's director of admissions and communications, wrote Joliet Patch. "We regret that not all students felt comfortable bringing their issues to the administration or staff members. We are taking steps to ensure that all students’ voices and concerns are heard as we move forward. Joliet Catholic Academy will continue to maintain our commitment to diversity and inclusion."

Quigley noted that Joliet Catholic Academy's handbook includes the following information: "Respect for all Individuals: All persons, created in God’s image and likeness and called to become, as Saint Paul writes, 'partakers of the divine nature,' are worthy of the highest respect and dignity as unique individuals and bearers of God’s presence in this world."

Additionally, "With regard to individual employee personnel matters, it is the policy of Joliet Catholic Academy to refrain from commenting publicly until such time as public comment becomes appropriate," Quigley informed Patch.

Back on June 3, the JCA administration posted a lengthy statement on its website and part of that statement read, "The JCA administration has also been made aware of a social media post political in nature and invoking graphic violence that is contrary to our community’s beliefs."

Joliet Catholic Academy's June 3 statement did not mention Hylka by name.

"The post, which we vehemently denounce due to its graphic nature and disregard for the value of life, runs counter to our belief in Catholic teaching," JCA officials announced on June 3. "As Diocese of Joliet apostolic administrator Bishop Richard Pates recently stated, 'does not Jesus call us to witness to pro-life in all its dimensions?' This post does not reflect what we stand for as a Catholic institution. Comments that reflect un-Christian attitudes towards the value of life have no place. We are well aware of the divided political opinions that exist in our world and ultimately within all school settings. However, there is no debate pertaining to the value of human life and the denouncement of racism in all its forms."

Shelby told Joliet Patch he is a 2017 graduate of JCA. He estimated about 200 to 225 alumni are now affiliated with the Alumni Coalition for Change at Joliet Catholic Academy. Shelby said the recent backlash regarding Hylka "is kind of indicative of things that have been going on in years past."

On a positive note, Shelby said, he believes the administration "do have good hearts and are good people. I think they are listening," he said.

Shelby told Patch that the Alumni Coalition for Change at Joliet Catholic Academy is working to remove Hylka, but that is just the first of many building blocks to combat what he believes are systemic problems at his former Catholic high school. He said the Alumni Coalition for Change is open to all JCA alums as well as alumni from St. Francis Academy and Joliet Catholic.

He said the group just formed during the past few weeks. Shelby said it's different from the JCA Alumni Association because the alumni association is basically a network to help graduates with business networking and with finding jobs.

Shelby said the Alumni Coalition for Change is "more of a task force" that will work over the coming weeks and months to implement meaningful change at JCA, including with the curriculum and trying to bring more diversity to the high school's faculty.

He said the Alumni Coalition for Change at Joliet Catholic Academy also has a Facebook page.

Thursday's news release from JCA's new alumni group also indicated: "The Alumni Coalition for Change at Joliet Catholic Academy will work to dismantle the culture of intolerance and systemic racism at their alma mater; until the school administration joins them in this fight. Black students currently enrolled are advised to withdraw from JCA and prospective students are implored to consider other schools in the area as they continue their education."

Meanwhile, an online petition has been collecting signatures at Change.org to keep Hylka on the faculty at JCA. The petition is called, "Mr. Hylka at JCA being saved!" As of noon, June 18, a total of 1,084 people have signed the petition in support of Hylka.

"Our theology teacher Mr. Hylka made a simple mistake and is being targeted by a (woman) who has had her issues with the school not to long ago. She is trying to get him fired for a mistake he made, which is in no way, is her business," the organizer of the petition wrote.