What is going on at Holton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This happened to a student in the Class of 2020. so just last year or maybe in 2019. Ask anyone from that class if you don't believe it. Girls had been complianing of him for years maybe decades.

Well, respectfully, I’m asking you because you brought it up, I don’t know anyone from that class, and if you think it’s important enough to raise here (as you seem to and it sounds like it is), I’d expect you’d be able to share some detail. Are we talking about comments or touching? Regarding the comments, can you elaborate?

Please elaborate! This is the first I’m hearing of this and have been at the school many years!

I heard about this as well. My daughter had already graduated but her friend's little sister was in that class. The teacher had said many inapprorpiate things, and propositioned girls and former students once they were out of school. In addition to the reported incident, the girls circulated talking points complaining about him and shared screenshots of his inappropriate Facebook posts. I think that is when the school finally listened and let him go. But then they later denied that was the reason why he was gone. In fact, the Head of School actually denied it to the girls when they tried to speak their truths.
Several years ago, there was another incident involving sexual harassment by a male administrator and a lower school teacher. She had reported it to the admnistration many times, but the Head of School did nothing about it. Then the teacher posted it on social media. They let him stay until the end of the year, but allowed him to come back on campus for the next several years because his daughter was still going to school there.
These are widely known to anyone who had an US student in the past 4 years.

Not doubting the validity, but I have a rising senior at Holton (who has been a student since lower school) and knew nothing about any of this. So I'm not sure it is "widely known".

My (then) 8th grader heard about the teacher last year.

[Anonymous]

I have gripes about Holton, but I have to come to its defense on the above issue - the issue with the administrator and the faculty member was hotly disputed and unless you have firsthand knowledge, which I don’t, I don’t think we should speculate. I heard 10 different stories myself on that point. The administrator has a daughter. Let the family be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have gripes about Holton, but I have to come to its defense on the above issue - the issue with the administrator and the faculty member was hotly disputed and unless you have firsthand knowledge, which I don’t, I don’t think we should speculate. I heard 10 different stories myself on that point. The administrator has a daughter. Let the family be.

That's exactly why sexual harassment cases go unreported. They usually take place without any witnesses. He said, she said. Hotly disputed. Leave him be. Isn't it always easier to just let it go? Horrible. Holton does not practice what it preaches.

[Anonymous]

The issue with the US physics teacher is not disputed by anyone. Except the Head of school who denied all those complaints.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Offered spots at NCS and Holton. Very good schools either way. Holton’s campus and stellar Administration sealed the deal. HoS listens at Holton.

This made me laugh! The administration at Holton does not listen at all. And the HoS is so cold and fake. We once loved this school but don’t anymore. It makes me sad to write that bThiut I have to be honest.

This is seriously the MOST HONEST POSTNG I have ever seen on this forum about Holton! People are too scared to say what they really feel and just want to graduate. Most of the positive stories don't even sound like they are written by real Holton parents. No one actually refers to the LS as elementary school or ES. The tuition went way up in COVID while other schools stayed the same or gave money back. Girls hated going back in person because it was cold and unwelcoming. Crazy! WHat else is going on at Holton?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue with the US physics teacher is not disputed by anyone. Except the Head of school who denied all those complaints.

Abhorrent that HOS completely dismissed students' discomforts about interactions with a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue with the US physics teacher is not disputed by anyone. Except the Head of school who denied all those complaints.

Abhorrent that HOS completely dismissed students' discomforts about interactions with a teacher.

Why isn't this in the news? Is it because people are too embarrassed or don't want to jeopardize their standing in the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue with the US physics teacher is not disputed by anyone. Except the Head of school who denied all those complaints.

Abhorrent that HOS completely dismissed students' discomforts about interactions with a teacher.

Why isn't this in the news? Is it because people are too embarrassed or don't want to jeopardize their standing in the school?

Because charges haven't been filed. It can't be in the news until charges are filed.

[Anonymous]

How long at the Physics teacher been at the school? My dd graduated 10 years ago + loved her AP Physics teacher. Hope it was not him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long at the Physics teacher been at the school? My dd graduated 10 years ago + loved her AP Physics teacher. Hope it was not him.

Phew-- just googled + found her teacher is a college instructor now

[Anonymous]

I also heard similar rumors about the administrator. Not sure why the teacher posted on social media instead of police but our family found out the hard way that private schools are all about keeping secrets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long at the Physics teacher been at the school? My dd graduated 10 years ago + loved her AP Physics teacher. Hope it was not him.

18 years when he was let go.

[Anonymous]

This was sent out last year. Stellar write-up, now redacted for privacy. Since the original was removed.

Dear Parents,

We want to let you know that Thursday, February 13th was Upper School Science teacher XXXs last day teaching at Holton-Arms. XXX taught here for 18 years, and contributed significantly to many aspects of the science program, including creating our Upper School engineering course and the Robotics Team. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

Rest assured that your daughters are in good hands. MMM will continue to lead the Advisory Group and will be assisted by US Counselor AAA. PPP, one of the other ninth-grade physics teachers, will teach the U4 ninth-grade physics class for the remainder of the year. HHH, who has an undergraduate degree in physics from YYY and a PhD in astronomy from the UUU, will teach the Advanced Analytical Physics for the remainder of the year. RRR, Director of Libraries and Information Services, will cover the last few classes of the Computer Programming and Robotics second trimester course. We are waiving the Science Research Program’s requirement to take Science Literacy, a trimester course offered in the spring, and we will not offer the course this year. HHH will reach out to the girls enrolled in that class to assign some readings. We are continuing to seek out coverage for the Introduction to Engineering class and for the Robotics Team. In the meantime, members of the Science Department will cover Engineering and the Robotics Team. We will update you once we have solidified that coverage.

We shared this news with your daughters this morning. As always, please let us know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Head of School
Director of Upper School

[Anonymous]

Not sure why that would have been censored.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was sent out last year. Stellar write-up, now redacted for privacy. Since the original was removed.

Dear Parents,

We want to let you know that Thursday, February 13th was Upper School Science teacher XXXs last day teaching at Holton-Arms. XXX taught here for 18 years, and contributed significantly to many aspects of the science program, including creating our Upper School engineering course and the Robotics Team. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

Rest assured that your daughters are in good hands. MMM will continue to lead the Advisory Group and will be assisted by US Counselor AAA. PPP, one of the other ninth-grade physics teachers, will teach the U4 ninth-grade physics class for the remainder of the year. HHH, who has an undergraduate degree in physics from YYY and a PhD in astronomy from the UUU, will teach the Advanced Analytical Physics for the remainder of the year. RRR, Director of Libraries and Information Services, will cover the last few classes of the Computer Programming and Robotics second trimester course. We are waiving the Science Research Program’s requirement to take Science Literacy, a trimester course offered in the spring, and we will not offer the course this year. HHH will reach out to the girls enrolled in that class to assign some readings. We are continuing to seek out coverage for the Introduction to Engineering class and for the Robotics Team. In the meantime, members of the Science Department will cover Engineering and the Robotics Team. We will update you once we have solidified that coverage.

We shared this news with your daughters this morning. As always, please let us know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Head of School
Director of Upper School

Clearly written by a legal team. Not by a compassionate or caring educator or someone affiliated with an all girls institution. No acknowledgement of years of complaints. No recognition that the school was actually doing the right thing in letting him go.