Robert “Bob” Rowe is the principal of Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky. On January 18, students from the school were filmed faced off with Nathan Phillips, a Vietnam veteran, who annually holds a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetary to honor Native Americans who died in conflicts.
In a statement, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington said, via WLWT, that they “condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically.” The statement says the actions of the students is against the Church’s teachings.” The statement closes by saying that the events “tainted” the pro-life movement. The diocese went back on their initial statement in a subsequent press release that read, “We should not have allowed ourselves to be bullied and pressured into making a statement prematurely, and we take full responsibility for it. I especially apologize to Nicholas Sandmann and his family as well as to all CovCath families who have felt abandoned during this ordeal. Nicholas, unfortunately, has become the face of these allegations based on video clips. This is not fair. It is not just.”
A separate statement, via Cincinnati.com, says that the school will explore all discipline options for the students in question “up to and including expulsion.”
Covington Students Were Charged $130 for Their Trip to the Nation’s Capital
Screengrab via Covington High School\’s official website
The students were in the capital for the March for Life, an annual pro-life protest. While Phillips was celebrating National Indigenous People’s Day. A post on the school’s website announced that students were invited to attend the event. A letter to parents about the event said that students would have to pay $130 to travel to D.C. That letter mentions a monthly mass in which students take part in a rosary service outside of a Planned Parenthood building close to their campus.
Principal Bob Rowe Is a Native of Northern Kentucky
According to Covington Catholic’s official website, Rowe has been with the school since 2008. On that page, Rowe says that he has a bachelor’s in Social Studies and Secondary Education from Northern Kentucky University. In addition, Rowe has a master’s in School Counseling from Xavier University. On that page, Rowe adds that he is a native of Northern Kentucky.
Prior to moving to Covington, Rowe as the assistant principal and baseball coach at Bishop Brossart High School, also a private Catholic school in Alexandria, Kentucky. Rowe has two daughters with his wife, Angie.
READ NEXT: Michigan School Teachers Admit to Making Adult Movies on the Side