Maureen Dowd column on Landon

[Anonymous]

Behavior like that is a red flag. Those boys will be a terrible influence on that class and the school for the next three years. I foresee this will not be the last problem for Landon with this bunch of bad apples.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know the story of how and why this story was published, and published now, after the entire school year had gone by?

Presumably a parent, or parents, of a or girls at issue were dissatisfied with Landon's response and threatened to disclose this if something else (what?) was not done. I assume they knew Dowd, or had a contact who knew her, and gave her the story. But what was going on all year? Why is this just coming out now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a Landon parent, and at first I thought this was pretty awful. But perhaps we mothers are naive in believing that it is not entirely normal for boys this age to objectify girls and want to boast about "scoring" to their friends. I have a feeling that has gone on since time immemorial, and always will, whether we like it or not. What was particularly offensive here, perhaps, was the coordinated nature of the conduct, which gives it the aura of gang rape. Maybe some dads could chime in on this conversation?

As for how to teach your boys -- mine are on the cusp of puberty, and all the Catholic bashers on this forum will hate to hear it, but the Church and Catholic schools in our experience so far have done a great job of teaching the boys to revere Mary, to respect their own mothers and the special sacrifices we make, and to treat girls as they would want their own sisters to be treated, if they have them. If you aren't prepared to teach your children that their sexuality is sacred, then I think it's a lot harder to argue that it's not just another pleasurable form of recreation. That's how I viewed it before I converted, and I am glad my own kids will have the rudder that I lacked at their age.

Well said. I have/had three sons at Landon. All stayed involved at our local Catholic Church, all are respectful of women, and their young women friends would attest to that. None fit the nasty stereotype that Hugueley is supposed to represent, and find all the Landon-bashing depressing in the extreme. Their fathers, grandfathers and uncles have also set terrific examples for them in this regard. I know some people can raise good children without that spiritual dimension but it we found it invaluable in meeting the challenges of parenting young men.

[Anonymous]

I don't know, but would guess a girls parent thought about all the Landon news and decided to call the media. That was the original threat that finally got Armstrong's attention last fall. Good for the parent(s). Lots of parents are wondering about that website now and are worried. Many want to know if their ds is listed and has been discussed. I know the site is down now, but who really knows about the remnants.

[Anonymous]

If Landon were my school, my son's school, or a school I taught/worked at, I would have wanted them expelled. If one of the girls they listed on the site were me or my daughter, I would have wanted the boys charged with a crime and made to work in a shelter for abused women and children for a year. Noting less is an adequate "punishment" for young males who acted in this manner and thought it was cool or funny and that they could actually go through with such a plan.

[Anonymous]

There have been some signs of a rift between Holton and Landon since the fall that were noticed by others in the independent school community-- this story would seem to explain the tension.

[Anonymous]

Where and when I grew up, older brothers of the girls would have beaten the perpetrators up. In these rarified circles the beating is administered through the media. Interesting contrast.

[Anonymous]

One more thought that has been mentioned somewhat--this seems to have been a recipe for date rape. Not much of a leap to think boys would have tried to get target girls very drunk, and rape all too common under those circumstances . . .

[Anonymous]

I love Landon. Scratching my head over its image. Hugueley was a case apart--out of his 16 years at school, 4 were at Landon, so why doesn't Mater Dei "own" him? Because his having attended Landon feeds a stereotype. The cheating scandal was a bad rap in that that stuff happens at all schools and is no more characteristic of Landon than any other place. We have a big family and our kids have attended a total of seven area private schools. None were perfect, all had their strengths. But when bad things happened at other schools, somehow there was little publicity. We know of STA middle schoolers involved in a making a pornographic home movie with local girls--no publicity. Cheating and sexually tinged bullying at Prep--no publicity. Frankly, I'm glad. I wish Landon would figure out the formula for keeping its name out of the paper, and deal swiftly and privately with the miscreants in its midst. It has a great drama program, one of the finest music programs in the area, a humanities program that all juniors must take which is the heart of the academic program in my opinion, and some of the best teachers any of my children ever had--and they stay in touch, taking an interest in these boys long after graduation, like nuns used to do in the old days. Teachers at other schools move on. All the teachers who taught one of my sons at the incomparable Gonzaga were (sadly) gone a few years after he left. Teaching in high school was a stop gap for them--at Landon it is a career for many. And talk about diverse--there are all nationalities and religions to be found there, and if memory serves, Landon made Jewish kids feel welcome before certain rival schools did. I think some of you would be stunned at the array of careers/ vocations to be found among recent alumni. Is the athletic culture a little overwhelming? I think some parents find the parents of athletes a bit too clubby. I never resented it, but i know a number of people who do. My kids were happy so I was happy. One note of caution: there is a kind of smarmy young man to be found at Landon (and doubtless elsewhere) who manages to fool even astute teachers into thinking he is an exemplary person. My sons couldn't believe some of these teachers couldn't see through these phonies. And they tended to be the kind of kids you wouldn't want your daughter to date, despite their seeming popularity. So it happens.

[Anonymous]

Washington Post article quotes Landon Upper School Head as saying 3 boys received in-school suspensions. Does not sound like that much of a punishment which would explain why parents of girls went to media.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/09/AR2010060905925.html

[Anonymous]

let's not forget...
In 2006, Landon School alumni were also tied to a scandal involving the Duke University men's lacrosse team and a stripper. At the time, five students from the Landon School were on the Duke lacrosse team.

[Anonymous]

I am very glad the Post picked up this story. It has been out there since fall. As far as the Holton rift goes--I can't believe it's taken this long to surface. One of the perps mothers has been very involved with the Holton auction, etc.
Another perps mother was very involved at HC. Another has a dd at another all girls school. Very uncomfortable.
These boys have used the contacts.

These boys were problems in the MS and not a thing was done. Now it's in the national media.

[Anonymous]

It is easy to pile on one incident -- and especially one reported largely anecdotally -- and to draw broad and specious conclusions about the associated institution. With regard to Landon -- having lived decades in the Washington area, with children and friends' children in a dozen plus different area high schools, Landon is a stand out in the quality of students (the ones that don't make the news -- whether good or bad news), the academic rigor of the school, and the quality of the teachers. I could not have asked for a better education or experience for my boys, none of which played varsity sports.

[Anonymous]

"none of whom"--sorry!

[Anonymous]

Fire the administration. Now, please.