Jesuit High School is a private Roman Catholic college-preparatory school for boys in grades eight through twelve. It is located in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana and is operated by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).
The school was founded in 1847 as the College of the Immaculate Conception, and became a separate secondary institution in 1911 when the college division relocated and later developed into Loyola University New Orleans. Jesuit High School was moved to 4133 Banks Street in 1926.
In 1911, the high school and college divisions were split. The college division (now Loyola University New Orleans) relocated to St. Charles Avenue.[7] Jesuit High School remained on Baronne Street until 1926, when it was moved to its current location at 4133 Banks Street in Mid-City.[8]
Several buildings and facilities have been added to the campus since 1926. In 1953, a wing was added along Palmyra Street, which included an auditorium, the Chapel of the North American Martyrs, a cafeteria, a library, several classrooms, and a band room.[9] In 1957, a gym and recreation center were built across Banks Street to support athletic teams and physical education programs.[9]
A resource center featuring a school library, additional classrooms, and science facilities was built in 1974.[9] The area was upgraded again in 2001, when the Student Commons was constructed on the first floor beneath the Resource Center.[citation needed] Further renovations were made to the school after Hurricane Katrina.[citation needed]
The mascot is a blue jay posed with its fists raised, designed by cartoonist Walt Kelly. A contest among students was held to name the mascot in 1954,[12] and the name "Jayson" won.
The school’s colors are blue and white, traditionally associated with the Virgin Mary in Catholic symbolism. Student athletes wear a white sweater with a blue letter "J" on it and were referred to as the "Blue Js"—hence the eventual selection of the mascot. As with many Jesuit schools, the school's motto is Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam ("For the Greater Glory of God").[citation needed]
Hurricane Katrina
Jesuit High School after Hurricane Katrina
Jesuit High School was affected by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, when it was flooded with five feet (1.5 m) of water which destroyed the ground floor and caused the school to be closed indefinitely.[citation needed] Jesuit's students and faculty returned to the campus by the end of 2005.[citation needed] On January 23, 2006, 1,285 of the 1,450 students returned to attend Jesuit for the second semester.[citation needed]
Recent leadership
Fr. Raymond Fitzgerald, S.J. served as school president;[citation needed] he was succeeded by Fr. Anthony McGinn, S.J.[citation needed] In November 2016, Fr. Chris Fronk, S.J. assumed office as the school's 30th president.[citation needed] In January 2020, Fr. Chris Fronk, S.J., stepped down as school president.[citation needed] Fr. John Brown, S.J. became the 31st president in 2020.[citation needed][13]
There have been several instances of child sexual abuse at the school.[14] Multiple lawsuits have alleged sexual abuse by priests, employees, and administrators associated with the school, including incidents reported to have occurred on campus.[15][16][17][18] The Jesuit order confirmed that at least fourteen priests assigned to Jesuit High were credibly accused of sexual abuse.[19]
The school has paid undisclosed settlements to victims and their families, and media reports have alleged that alumni donations were used in part to fund these settlements.[20] The school has been accused of using alumni donations to cover the payments.[21] In 2019, a lawsuit accused the school's administration of knowingly hiring a convicted pedophile as head janitor in the 1980s.[22]
In 2018, Jesuit High School president Christopher Fronk said he was "horrified" by the sexual abuse at the school dating back to the "most disgusting time in our history" of the 1970s.[23]
In a 1978 article in The Atlantic, James K. Glassman wrote that ‘practically every white Orleanian of note went to Jesuit,’ reflecting the school’s historical prominence among the city’s white elite.[24]
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