Suzy Kassem, author of many novels, essays and poetry, once wrote this:

"Stand up to hypocrisy. If you don't, the hypocrites will teach. Stand up to ignorance, because if you don't, the ignorant will run free to spread ignorance like a disease. Stand up for truth. If you don't, then there is no truth to your existence. If you don't stand up for all that is right, then understand that you are part of the reason why there is so much wrong."

And this is your mission, faculty of Norwich Free Academy.

Stand up.

Or sit down.

Your choice.

Your chance to act comes Wednesday, according to sources, at a faculty meeting, the first since head of school David Klein — protector of a sexual predator yet empowered by the spineless Board of Trustees — placed two members of the staff, Denise Grant of NFA's Office of Curriculum and Instruction and Sue Hopkins-Terrell, head of the school's Physical and Health Education department, on paid administrative leave.

Why did Mr. Klein take this action against Grant and Hopkins-Terrell? Because he could. Because he can do anything he wants on NFA's campus, with no people or mechanisms in place to stop him. Mr. Klein can violate the law by failing to alert the Department of Children and Families about inappropriate sexual relationships between former coach Anthony Facchini and two female students — and yet use two women with whom several sources say he's had longstanding personality conflicts — as scapegoats.

Except now faculty members get to be heard.

Stand up.

Speak.

Walk out.

Have your Peter Finch moment.

Finch's cathartic scene in the movie "Network," during which he tells his viewers to go over to their windows and yell how they're "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore," is appropriate and just and fitting to alert St. David of Klein and the Board of Trustees exactly what they think of this contemptible campus corruption.

Remember, NFA faculty: They can't fire you all. You matter. You count. And now you must stand up. If you don't, you are nothing more than lyrics Dave Matthews wrote once about ants marching. If you don't stand up and be heard, they can stack the chairs on the tables, hang the sheets on the chandeliers and hose down the fire. It's over. You will have caved.

You would be standing up to a head of school that clearly runs the place based on fear.

You would be standing up to the Board of Trustees that insulted your (and our) intelligence with a fraudulent "investigation" of Facchini's travails and the administration's subsequent Sgt. Schultz "know nothing/see nothing/hear nothing" act. An "investigation" that's toothless on its face because the board has no standing against law enforcement. An "investigation" that was all oral and thus not subjected to Freedom of Information requests. Clever and corrupt.

You would be standing up for Grant and Hopkins-Terrell, widely popular on campus, according to several faculty sources.

You would be standing up to institutional hypocrisy.

You would be standing up against people who value image over humanity.

And most of all:

You would be standing up for two young female victims who have been voiceless through this sordid narrative.

Lest we forget: many of you probably taught those kids.

How do you feel about Mr. Klein and the Board of Trustees dismissing them, their adversity and their families?

Remember this, NFA faculty: Your administration failed to follow the law. Per Connecticut General Statutes §17a-101a: "Mandated reporters are required to report or cause a report to be made when, in the ordinary course of their employment or profession, they have reasonable cause to suspect or believe that a child under the age of 18 has been abused, neglected or is placed in imminent risk of serious harm."

Remember this, NFA faculty: Your administration never alerted parents or acknowledged any of this until media reports surfaced. They tried to cover this up.

Remember this, NFA faculty: If you don't speak up, what's to stop the Board of Trustees — Sarette Williams, DeVol Joyner, Mark Tramontozzi, Denise Lindell, Diana L. Boisclair, Allyn L. Brown III, Betsy Conway, Keith Fontaine, Thomas W. Hammond, David Kalla, Denise Lindell, Todd Postler and William Warzecha — from allowing Klein to take action against YOU next ... because who's going to stop him?

To reiterate the words of Suzy Kassem: "Stand up to hypocrisy. If you don't, the hypocrites will teach. Stand up to ignorance, because if you don't, the ignorant will run free to spread ignorance like a disease. Stand up for truth. If you don't, then there is no truth to your existence. If you don't stand up for all that is right, then understand that you are part of the reason why there is so much wrong in the world."

They can't fire you all.

So be heard. Walk out. Refuse to return until Mr. Klein is where he belongs: On paid administrative leave himself pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro