I am a teacher at Patterson High and I am fearful of recriminations, but I think there is a tremendous wrong being done to Howard Castleman and Castle Toyota right now. I wanted to send in an anonymous letter to the editor, but anonymous letters are (rightly) not printed in your paper. I think you have done a fair job reporting on this story, but there is a side to it that isn't being told. This is the letter I wanted to have printed in the paper:

"As a Patterson High School employee, I was outraged not by Castle Toyota's decision to rescind the scholarships, but by Laura D'Anna's complete mishandling of the situation. According to Sara Neufeld's article, "Since students and staff were grieving, she [D'Anna] decided that no media would be allowed." What does one have to do with the other? There is no doubt that the students involved absolutely deserve the scholarships, but Castle Toyota was put in an unfairly difficult position. Major Thomas's death is a tragedy, but should not have been the central theme of Patterson's Senior Farewell. Principal Laura D'Anna tends to be belligerent, loud, overbearing and tyrannical. When Howard Castleman cites "attitude" as the reason for rescinding the scholarships, he is likely talking about D'Anna. The decision to exclude the press appears to be D'Anna's alone - the general Patterson staff was not consulted, but they were immediately solicited for money after being told D'Anna's version of the Castle Toyota renege. I may have a harsh opinion of Principal D'Anna, but I also want readers to think twice before skewering Howard Castleman and Castle Toyota."

My personal opinion is that Ms. D'Anna is a bully and a manipulator, and it's because of those qualities that I (and any other Patterson staff members who were immune to her sermonizing and general propaganda) don't want to stand against her. I just want to beg you to dig a little deeper into this story. I know that it seems like it's a happy ending, and the evil Big Company is put into its place - but that just isn't the whole truth. I know I seem like a huge coward trying to do all this on the sneak, but if you've ever seen what happens to Andy Dufresne when he stands up to the warden in The Shawshank Redemption, then you know why I'd rather not.

Posted by: A Patterson High

I commented previously about how Castleman is being treated unfairly (I am a Patterson employee). I think that many of us are viewing this story while wearing blinders. Here's the basic timeline as it happened in the school.
1. Major Thomas's tragic death (he was an amazing man whose legacy is clear to see in the pride and respect of his ROTC kids) didn't affect the HSA testing happening that morning and throughout the week because Principal D'Anna said, "That's what he would have wanted."
2. If that's what he would have wanted, why wouldn't he have also wanted the Patterson senior class to enjoy its farewell and awards ceremony? The farewell is supposed to be a time of celebration that could have included a Major Thomas tribute.
3. If the seniors and the Patterson staff collectively would have decided that the Castle Toyota banner and any press coverage were inappropriate, then maybe it would have been easier for Castleman to swallow.
4. If the staff and students were informed of Castleman's reluctance to give the scholarships BEFORE he actually rescinded them, we might have been able to talk about a compromise (at least!).
5. What actually happened is that Principal D'Anna made the decision on her own as someone who was too deeply shaken by the Thomas tragedy (she was with him when he passed) to make an impartial judgment about the ceremony.
6. Anyone who ever hears Principal D'Anna SCREAMING over the Patterson intercom or SCREAMING in the Patterson halls will get some idea of what Mr. Castleman probably had to deal with before he made what has turned out to be a disastrous decision. He is no more a completely evil man than Ms. D'Anna is a completely evil woman. They are two people who made human mistakes - the difference being that Ms. D'Anna gets to come off smelling like roses without any accountability.

I was really relieved to read the comments from my colleagues in response to the recent events involving Castleman Toyota. I am also a teacher at Patterson High and was disheartened to read the article in yesterday's paper because I felt like Ms. D'Anna dealt with the situation in a completely uncompromising fashion and that Castleman Toyota was being severely criticized when their withdrawal of the scholarship money was reasonable. When Ms. D’Anna called the staff into the library and told us that there would be no scholarships based on the dealer’s insistence of publicity and then asked for donations from the teachers, I was shocked that people actually got out their checkbooks. Major Thomas’s death was tragic because he was a well-loved teacher at our school, but Ms. D’Anna’s arrogance and audacity stripped the gesture of rejecting the scholarships and of any sentiment. One of Ms D’Anna excuses was that she thought that the media would stick cameras and microphones in students’ and staff members’ faces demanding comments about Major Thomas’s death, but I could not really believe that there was ever such a threat. The entire series of events have been saddening because we need to build up better relations with our community and teach our students how to work through situations thoughtfully and rationally particularly when recovering from tragedies such as the one that recently struck us so hard. The four students ended up getting more money than Castleman had offered, which is great, but what about next year’s students and after that? I feel like that our school, our students and our community don’t owe Ms. D’Anna any great round of applause because, while she may feel proud of her moral stance, she was completely out of line.

I was ready to skewer Castle after reading the article, but after reading the comments, I have a different view. D'Anna is pretty short sighted because she's going to have a hard time next year raising that kind of money. No business wants to be treated like a piggy bank. I suspect she delivered an ultimatum to Castle - not a message. So much for community relations...

It sounds like your personal issues with D'Anna are preventing you from recognizing one simple truth: when you promise something to a child, you need to deliver. I don't care what D'Anna did or how much of a bully she is - Castle promised that money to those kids and then stomped off like a petulant child because he didn't get his way. There are so many egos involved in this whole story - I, for one, am thrilled that those kids got their money.

Unfortunately, the children in this case are being used as a kind of infinite "Get Out of Jail Free" card for reprehensible behavior. Everybody is thrilled that the kids get their money, but why continue to bash and harass Castleman? Why prevent the man from rectifying his mistake and therefore getting MORE money for the kids? We consumers of information need to stop believing that every issue is cut-and-dry-and-black-and-white, and start wading into that ambiguous gray area to find some truth.

Looks to me like the principal is the one who broke her promise and then, to extend her hissy fit, refused the scholarship money in the end.

Lets give some blame to D'Anna, but please lets not take any away from Castle.

His quote was one of the most nauseating things I've ever read. What a poor excuse for a moral human being.

In your haste to fill your left winged paper with content you published a story without sitting down and getting both sides. Maybe that is why no one reads your papaer anymore and even when they do its before they eat so they can keep thier food down. Remember there are two sides to every story and if you really believe that a man who has accomplished what Mr Castleman has accomplished in his life would deprive anyone of a scholarship that was promised to them, then you people who work for this are 10 times dummer then even I COULD IMAGINE. You a paper you need to do a gut check and realize that people do not want to read this garbage and want unbais reporting. When you can do this instead of backing every democract that comes down the pipe and reporting half stories maybe then people will begin to read your paper. As it is now, everyone must still go to bathroom and we all need something to read, right. I know that therre is no way you will print or post this because you could never allow people to really know what the average guy out here feels about yourr paper or the on sided grap you put in it

If it's any consolation, Sara, I think the Sun does a pretty good job representing the plentiful sides of stories (despite what's written above). Keep up the great work!

Why doesn't the principal eat a little crow, make peace with the Toyota dealer, and get 4 scholarships for kids that need them?

I too am a teacher at the school. Mr Castleman being treated unfairly? Ya think? I have had the opportunity to meet the Castleman family during the annual Christmas Party that they throw for the community. A nicer grouping of people could not be found. If the vulturistic, competing, car dealers want to use this opportunity to raise sales than they are the ones in the wrong. At least the Castle Group began this transaction out of the goodness of their heart.
Let us instead put our vile principal under the microscpe. Many of us staff are aware that this is not the first time that promised funding has been denied due to Laura D'Anna's deplorable attitude. It is my belief, as it is many, that Laura D'Anna became nervous when she realizefd her mistake and made an example of Castleman to draw attention away from herself. I believe we should cease villifying the Castle Group and concentrate on the real criminal in this case. Princiapl Laura D'Anna.

The principal sounds like a real sweetheart. How does she keep her job?

As for the media component of this story. How shortsighted is it for this principal to want to close one of the most "public" of ceremonies in a "public" school -- a graduation -- with hundreds of guests?

Had the media shown up, students and staff would have had the opportunity to share the same glowing tributes to Major Thomas that are being shared here. What an honor for the school and the Major.

It most certainly would NOT have been a circus. But it has become one thanks to the principal.