CRANBERRY TWP — Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School students arriving for the first day of classes Monday saw — in bright red paint — evidence of the growing controversy over their school's name.

Cardinal Donald Wuerl's name appeared more than 100 times in a state grand jury report and is quickly becoming associated with church efforts to minimize sexual abuse allegations over the years.

The cardinal, who was then bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, is repeatedly described in the report as dealing with accused priests by relocating them.

That has led to a movement to rename the school. On Monday, the words “Cardinal Wuerl” on the school sign along Route 228 were covered by the red paint.

The incident occurred as a petition on Change.org aims to remove Wuerl's name from the school. The effort gained about 1,300 signatures after it was created following the Aug. 14 release of the grand jury report.

As of Monday evening, the petition had more than 6,800 signatures, and school alumni continued to call for a name change.

John Michael Curlovich, who graduated from North Catholic in 1966 and signed the petition, said during an interview Monday, “If they don't remove (Wuerl's) name, it sends a clear message that they don't condemn these acts.”

Curlovich, an author who lives in Pittsburgh, described his own experience at North Catholic High School as “horrible” and “nightmarish.” He claimed that he was sexually abused by two employees who were part of the Marianist brotherhood and that when he told the principal at the time, the man said his abusers were just “being friendly.”

The diocese has acknowledged in previous statements that a dozen allegations have been brought against Marianist brothers who were working at the school from the 1950s to the 1990s. In light of the allegations, officials with the diocese sent a letter last year to alumni urging anyone who was abused to come forward with their stories.

“My memories of North Catholic are dark. I hate thinking back to that time,” Curlovich said. He argued that if Wuerl's name stays on the school's title it will be an insult to victims.

School officials did not respond to a request for a comment on Curlovich's allegations.

Luke Crawford, school principal, said staff is working with township police to ensure students' safety while classes start.

“Certainly we reached out to Cranberry Township police ... They assured us they'll make their presence felt,” he said. “We're trying to minimize as many distractions so students can focus on what they're here to focus on.”

Crawford said he hoped students could enjoy the first day despite the uproar.

In a letter to parents Sunday, Crawford assured them that the school board is working to make a decision on the school name.

“At this time, I can inform you that I have met with our board of directors and we passed a recommendation which has been forwarded to the diocese,” Crawford said. “It is my understanding that the diocesan board, which governs the high schools, will meet this week to consider our recommendation. I remain hopeful that this issue will be resolved before the week's end.”

The letter did not specify what the board's recommendation was. Two board members reached Monday declined to comment.

Another alumna of the school, Megan Fialkovich, lamented Monday that all of this is happening as school begins. She's also in favor of removing Wuerl's name from the school.

“It's disgusting what Wuerl allowed to happen, And keeping his name there is doing a disservice to the students and teachers” the Bellevue resident said. “It's unfortunate that the current students are going to be caught in the crossfire, but that's just the reality of the situation.”

Fialkovich is confident current students will understand what's happening.

“We have a strong sense of what is right and wrong,” she said. “We were raised to be responsible, held accountable and to be the voice of the voiceless.”

Removing Wuerl's name, she said, would help change church culture.

“The church needs to stop policing itself and turn over known offenders immediately to law enforcement. Prayers and penance don't protect anyone, as we've unfortunately learned,” she said.

With the decision regarding the school's name yet to be made, students may now wear a plain red or plain white polo shirt in lieu of their official CWNC shirts, Crawford said. All other uniform requirements remain in effect.

Crawford told parents that media are prohibited from the campus at this time, and students do not have to worry about being questioned on their way to or from the bus.

“These measures are being put into place simply to minimize the distractions which could take away from your son/daughter's first day of school,” Crawford said. “Our teachers know very well that the first day sets the tone for the whole year. That is why we are working diligently to minimize distractions and stay focused on our goals for the year.”

He said he would keep parents updated on any developments.

This is the only incident of vandalism the school has experienced since the report came out, Crawford said.

Police are investigating and, as of Monday, did not have any suspects, said Sgt. Chuck Mascellino. If charges are filed, Mascellino said they'd likely fall under institutional vandalism, which is a misdemeanor.