Whittle

[Anonymous]

So apparently they'll be continuing in the same building in the fall?

What will they do if the court rules against them in the eviction hearings that begin on September 2? Appeal or ask for some kind of stay and hope they can eke out another school year from the delay?

Don't see how that would benefit even CW....but I also don't see how even he can imagine they would win the eviction case in court. They owe about $30 million in back rent and taxes...and are being sued for about $55 million in unpaid bills and loans elsewhere...

[Anonymous]

I read they need 700 students to break even (down from 1200 since they gave up some sqft in the building). How many do they have?

Also what’s the quality of education? What about how small the peer group? It reminds me of the 19th century village schools, with different classes all in one room together. It still happens in some missionary schools in Africa too

[Anonymous]

I think they have the space, but not the teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At this point there’s every expectation this isn’t over, though, right? WSS lives on a bit longer? I for one would keep an eye on mid-year Maret transfers.

I’m fairly curious how a failed school matriculated students to Georgetown and other good schools?

Why would anyone leave Maret for Whittle?

I believe they meant the other direction.

[Anonymous]

Maybe sub-lease space in the building from whoever the new tenant is? Is that allowed given the terms of lawsuit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe sub-lease space in the building from whoever the new tenant is? Is that allowed given the terms of lawsuit?

The owner is asking for them to leave the building and not be able to become tenants of it again......So....could that possibly mean they could be sub-tenants, by law? ...

It seems unlikely to me that that particular loophole would exist....But even if it did, could they really convince another tenant to accept them as a subtenant, given their record on bill payment"

I'm sure they'd make the argument "Think of the children!" ... But....

[Anonymous]

Mr Whittle is unlikely to get just a “whittle” jail time for his actions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mr Whittle is unlikely to get just a “whittle” jail time for his actions.

Lol, guys like him never face meaningful consequences for ripping people off. He’s more likely to be retained as a consultant than criminally charged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mr Whittle is unlikely to get just a “whittle” jail time for his actions.

Lol, guys like him never face meaningful consequences for ripping people off. He’s more likely to be retained as a consultant than criminally charged.

I mostly see a pile of civil suits, unless he is hiding the schools assets somewhere or was withholding information from the investors. His manner of treating parents and students over the past year strikes me a criminally stupid, but . . . what law does that break?

I think the twitter thread posted earlier sums it up very well. Someone with enough audacity, and a sufficient pain tolerance for riding out one's failures to the bitter end, can make a long career out of dreaming big on other people's money and running those dreams into the ground. Sounds like this guy did that several times.

[Anonymous]

He has, and for decades. Boggles the mind that anyone with access to Google would ever go work for him

[Anonymous]

I would just take a lesson from 2007 when Whittle and current head of school Rivera were sued by their investors for a similar scheme ( Nations Academy) in DC--The money Emet Investments handed them vaporized and they were sued for securities fraud, common law fraud, inducement fraud, unjust enrichment, breach of contract--the scheme:  fake pr claimed 60 campuses and $3 Billion by 2021, Whittle put in $25.00 while Emet put in $5M and Varkey committed to $46M. They made bogus wildly exaggerated claims to the Washington Post that they would finance it all through a $400 million land deal involving a non existent bond offering --they ran through the cash and blamed it on the financial crisis: sound familiar?  If the funders of the current venture file against them, a similar pattern of boast-lie-pocket-blame will surely emerge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would just take a lesson from 2007 when Whittle and current head of school Rivera were sued by their investors for a similar scheme ( Nations Academy) in DC--The money Emet Investments handed them vaporized and they were sued for securities fraud, common law fraud, inducement fraud, unjust enrichment, breach of contract--the scheme:  fake pr claimed 60 campuses and $3 Billion by 2021, Whittle put in $25.00 while Emet put in $5M and Varkey committed to $46M. They made bogus wildly exaggerated claims to the Washington Post that they would finance it all through a $400 million land deal involving a non existent bond offering --they ran through the cash and blamed it on the financial crisis: sound familiar?  If the funders of the current venture file against them, a similar pattern of boast-lie-pocket-blame will surely emerge.

Yup. Civil suits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At this point there’s every expectation this isn’t over, though, right? WSS lives on a bit longer? I for one would keep an eye on mid-year Maret transfers.

I’m fairly curious how a failed school matriculated students to Georgetown and other good schools?

Why would anyone leave Maret for Whittle?

I believe they meant the other direction.

Maret is full as it is...how would there be room for Whittle students there?

[Anonymous]

You ask a very good question…

Mmmhm let’s see

[Anonymous]

What is the most up-to-date status of Whittle? Are any currently enrolled families here? I wonder what will happen with the eviction.