A Pennsylvania judge has ordered Scranton diocese to pay up to $1 million awarded in arbitration hearings to teachers who were terminated when local Catholic schools were consolidated. Luzerne County Senior Judge Chester Muroski said in the orders that teachers of Bishop O'Reilly, St. Vincent's School, Bishop O'Reilly Junior High School, Bishop Hafey and Bishop Hoban, will receive money owed to them in a lawsuit, the Times-Leader reports.
According to court papers, teachers who were employed at Bishop Hoban High School are owed over $700,000.
It is estimated the total amount for arbitration awards will exceed $1 million.
The arbitration awards stem from complaints filed by the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers, which had represented some teachers until 2006, when then-Bishop Joseph Martino restructured the entire Catholic school system, eliminating local school boards and parish councils the union had dealt with.
The diocese had previously said it intended to honor the awards but was not sure where the money will come from.
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