Covington Bishop Says He Was Bullied Into Condemning Students Over Encounter with Native American
He is apologizing to the teens’ involved in an encounter with tribal elder Nathan Phillips.

Madalyn McGarvey/Reuters
A Kentucky bishop who condemned the Covington Catholic High School students at the center of a controversial encounter with a Native American elder is now apologizing to the teens for rushing to judgment. In a letter to parishioners obtained by the Washington Post, Bishop Thomas Foys said he was “bullied and pressured into making a statement prematurely” after the first video clip of the incident in Washington surfaced last weekend. The boys were accused of mocking Nathan Phillips after the first video emerged, but many said a second, longer video showed they did nothing wrong. “We now await the results of the investigation and it is my hope and expectation that the results will exonerate our students so they can move forward with their lives,” the bishop’s letter said. “In the meantime, we call on all those who continue to spew venom and hate to desist and instead pray for a peaceful resolution to this tragic spectacle.”
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
