Cheer

Cheers to Steven Taaffe. Research by the Grove City College alumnus prompted an apology by the college to a professor who was unjustly fired 53 years ago.

Taaffe, a history professor at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas, did research on the 1962 firing of Larry Gara, a history professor whose left-wing politics offended a powerful trustee.

Taaffe found evidence that allegations of incompetence and other charges against Gara were unfair.

Gara went on to a successful teaching career at Wilmington College in Ohio.

All the Grove City officials involved in the firing are dead. But based on Taaffe’s research, former GCC President Richard Jewell recently visited Gara at his home in Ohio and personally apologized on behalf of the college.

Gara, 93, told The Associated Press, “I never thought they would come around.”

Jeer

Accusations of corruption keep piling up against Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane. Now a judge accuses Kane of a burglary in his offices.

Barry Feudale, a senior judge in Northumberland County, accuses Kane or her agents of breaking into his office in 2013 in the disappearance of three sensitive files.

Feudale released a statement Thursday calling Kane “the most corrupt, dishonest, deceptive politically motivated ‘public servant’ I have encountered in my 28 years as a judge.” He intends to file a complaint this week and a statement about transcripts, letters, e-mails, voicemails and other documents corroborating his assertions.

Kane remains in office despite an indictment accusing her of leaking grand jury evidence and lying about it. Her law license has been suspended.

Kane petitioned the state Supreme Court later in 2013 to remove Feudale as a grand jury judge, complaining that Feudale had disparaged her and her predecessor, Linda Kelly. She had reported Feudale to a judicial ethics agency for a breach of secrecy laws, she said.

It’s not known whether Kane’s allegation refers to the fact Feudale had called police to report the break-in. The case apparently was turned over to the attorney general’s office. Feudale say that’s the last he heard about it.

Kane needs to be removed from office before she does any more damage to the state’s justice system.

Cheer

Cheers to Randy Hart. The retired longtime teacher and Seneca Valley School Board member is contributing $1,000 per year to each of two classroom teachers to enhance their teaching.

Hart selected Rebecca Finch, who teaches human anatomy and molecular biology at the senior high school, and Mickey Flood, a middle school health teacher, to each receive $1,000 per year for as long as they continue to teach in the district or as long as Hart is alive. Hart announced his donation at the school board meeting Oct. 19.

Hart is a graduate of Seneca Valley High School and all of his children graduated from the district. He said the district has served him well.

When he was a teacher in the North Allegheny School District, he had a lot of resources and support, Hart said. Anytime he wanted to do a new program, there were people who wrote him personal checks for $1,000. He decided to follow their example.

“This might inspire somebody else who has the ability to come out of the community to help support the schools,” Hart said.

Let’s hope so.