The Straight Dope on DC Private School Scandals

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The DC moms on this board pounce on any whiff of scandal and the threads soon evolve into back and forth between the school bashers and defenders. The school bashers are always “outraged” or “curious” or “surprised” or “disappointed” if not “shocked” that [insert topic de jour] occurred. The school defenders are always quick to minimize the scandal and deflect the topic and attack any accuser. If all else fails you can always take a shot at your favorite DC suburban private boys school: Landon, Bullis, Prep; which ALL DC moms despise.

As a longtime observer of this board and NW DC hierarchy, however, there is another way of looking at this. Of all the scandals that have been discussed on these boards one stands out as perhaps the greatest failure of institutional control in the history of U.S. education: the Eric Toth incident. Exaggeration you say? What else compares to this: child predator who is now on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list LIVING on the Cathedral campus for years; hacking into school computers and students files; taking explicit photos of children who attended Cathedral’s Beauvoir elementary school; “babysitting” students and having students “sit on his lap;” and the school botching his dismissal so that he was able to escape authorities. Toth is the Osama Bin Laden of child predators (and coincidently took Bin Laden’s place on the 10 most wanted list.

I truly am completely outraged by this post!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DC moms on this board pounce on any whiff of scandal and the threads soon evolve into back and forth between the school bashers and defenders. The school bashers are always “outraged” or “curious” or “surprised” or “disappointed” if not “shocked” that [insert topic de jour] occurred. The school defenders are always quick to minimize the scandal and deflect the topic and attack any accuser. If all else fails you can always take a shot at your favorite DC suburban private boys school: Landon, Bullis, Prep; which ALL DC moms despise.

As a longtime observer of this board and NW DC hierarchy, however, there is another way of looking at this. Of all the scandals that have been discussed on these boards one stands out as perhaps the greatest failure of institutional control in the history of U.S. education: the Eric Toth incident. Exaggeration you say? What else compares to this: child predator who is now on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list LIVING on the Cathedral campus for years; hacking into school computers and students files; taking explicit photos of children who attended Cathedral’s Beauvoir elementary school; “babysitting” students and having students “sit on his lap;” and the school botching his dismissal so that he was able to escape authorities. Toth is the Osama Bin Laden of child predators (and coincidently took Bin Laden’s place on the 10 most wanted list.

I truly am completely outraged by this post!

In fact, all you have to do is look at the Sandusky case to see how much worse it could have been -- actual molestation and rape. It sounds like this felon was a purveyor and creator of porn, but did not physically molest/fondle/rape like Sandusky. Sadly, there are many, many instances in U.S. education of molestation and rape. This one was bad, from what one reads, but could have been a great deal worse.

[Anonymous]

The DC moms on this board pounce on any whiff of scandal and the threads soon evolve into back and forth between the school bashers and defenders. The school bashers are always “outraged” or “curious” or “surprised” or “disappointed” if not “shocked” that [insert topic de jour] occurred. The school defenders are always quick to minimize the scandal and deflect the topic and attack any accuser. If all else fails you can always take a shot at your favorite DC suburban private boys school: Landon, Bullis, Prep; which ALL DC moms despise.

As a longtime observer of this board and NW DC hierarchy, however, there is another way of looking at this. Of all the scandals that have been discussed on these boards one stands out as perhaps the greatest failure of institutional control in the history of U.S. education: the Eric Toth incident. Exaggeration you say? What else compares to this: child predator who is now on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list LIVING on the Cathedral campus for years; hacking into school computers and students files; taking explicit photos of children who attended Cathedral’s Beauvoir elementary school; “babysitting” students and having students “sit on his lap;” and the school botching his dismissal so that he was able to escape authorities. Toth is the Osama Bin Laden of child predators (and coincidently took Bin Laden’s place on the 10 most wanted list.

I agree. Parents sucking up to a teacher for personal gain and inviting a teacher to their homes to privately tutor their children for personal gain. What do you expect? Much blame to go around here.

[Anonymous]

Now the Washington Post is alleging that Cathedral school parents knew about Toth's creepy behavior and did nothing:

Some Beauvoir parents have said the teacher sometimes spent nights in his classroom closet and lavished attention on certain 8- and 9-year-old boys, holding them on his lap.

The parents said it was common knowledge that Toth was entwined in the lives of Beauvoir students — particularly male students — and sometimes in unusual ways. He babysat and tutored them, at times for free. He slept at their houses as a babysitter when parents were away and was a guest at one boy’s home for weeks.

The ethical and immoral criminal here, if this story is true, is not the teacher ... but actually the Beauvoir parents inviting their children's teachers to their home for sleepovers while tutoring their own children. The very teacher who will grade and promote their children in the Cathedral educational system. Would the Lord approve of such behavior on the part of teachers or parents?

Conflict of interest in every sense of word and creepy behavior on the part of Beauvoir parents.

[Anonymous]

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Now the Washington Post is alleging that Cathedral school parents knew about Toth's creepy behavior and did nothing:

Some Beauvoir parents have said the teacher sometimes spent nights in his classroom closet and lavished attention on certain 8- and 9-year-old boys, holding them on his lap.

The parents said it was common knowledge that Toth was entwined in the lives of Beauvoir students — particularly male students — and sometimes in unusual ways. He babysat and tutored them, at times for free. He slept at their houses as a babysitter when parents were away and was a guest at one boy’s home for weeks.

The ethical and immoral criminal here, if this story is true, is not the teacher ... but actually the Beauvoir parents inviting their children's teachers to their home for sleepovers while tutoring their own children. The very teacher who will grade and promote their children in the Cathedral educational system. Would the Lord approve of such behavior on the part of teachers or parents?

Conflict of interest in every sense of word and creepy behavior on the part of Beauvoir parents.

The teacher (Toth) is NOT a criminal??? Are you kidding?

The parents and school made grievous mistakes, but that doesn't excuse Toth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about we all stop discussing scandals (a truce) and focus on information that might be helpful to others?

Discussing animals like Toth kept people on the alert for his capture. It's imperative that we keep all area schools admins' fret to the fire when improprieties occur--are you suggesting a conspiracy of silence? Not gonna happen here. No school is above scrutiny here. That is the beauty of this forum.

[Anonymous]

The teacher (Toth) is NOT a criminal??? Are you kidding?

The parents and school made grievous mistakes, but that doesn't excuse Toth.

Correct. Only here on DCUM. Unfortunately, your collective opinion and stupidity is insufficient evidence to constitute rule of law!

[Anonymous]

Discussing animals like Toth kept people on the alert for his capture. It's imperative that we keep all area schools admins' fret to the fire when improprieties occur--are you suggesting a conspiracy of silence? Not gonna happen here. No school is above scrutiny here. That is the beauty of this forum.

What are you talking about? Has Toth or any of the Beauvoir School conspiring parents been convicted of anything? The cage is full of "animals".