The staff of a Fairfax County, Virginia, high school are no doubt crossing themselves and bracing for the worst with the discovery that their dean of students wasn’t quite what the Pope had in mind for the education of Catholic teens.

Albert Santora served as a religion teacher before being appointed dean in 2001. Recently one of his former students, while working on a paper about vegetarians, somehow came across a Web site for leatherboys. And there was a picture of Mr. Santora , emceeing the Mid-Atlantic Leather Contest. Open to "all gay leathermen," the contest features scantily leather-clad men with their bottoms pointed come-hitherly toward the audience. Santora was also the event’s founder.

According to a school spokesperson, after being confronted on the issue, Santora resigned his post - a move some students say was uncalled for.

"He’s a very fair man," said one sophomore. "He treated us like he was there to serve us." :

» Scott Saxon