LAMB Sued for $20M by 2 families of sexual abuse victims

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's no reason for any teacher or staff member in any type of school to take kids to a basement and lock the door. Just think of the PTSD impact on those kids. 8 years? Unreal.

All the kids went to the basement, pretty regularly (according to my LAMB kid from that classroom) to help Mr Fernandez retrieve or put away 'science materials.' The kids understood it to be part and parcel of the Montessori curriculum where students help care for the classroom environment.

So far as my kid will admit, nothing happened when he was down there with the teacher. But I still worry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no reason for any teacher or staff member in any type of school to take kids to a basement and lock the door. Just think of the PTSD impact on those kids. 8 years? Unreal.

All the kids went to the basement, pretty regularly (according to my LAMB kid from that classroom) to help Mr Fernandez retrieve or put away 'science materials.' The kids understood it to be part and parcel of the Montessori curriculum where students help care for the classroom environment.

So far as my kid will admit, nothing happened when he was down there with the teacher. But I still worry.

I've been a special ed teacher and now a school psychologist for many years. We're not allowed to take any students of any age to a place like a basement---and certainly now with a closed door--much less a locked one!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no reason for any teacher or staff member in any type of school to take kids to a basement and lock the door. Just think of the PTSD impact on those kids. 8 years? Unreal.

All the kids went to the basement, pretty regularly (according to my LAMB kid from that classroom) to help Mr Fernandez retrieve or put away 'science materials.' The kids understood it to be part and parcel of the Montessori curriculum where students help care for the classroom environment.

So far as my kid will admit, nothing happened when he was down there with the teacher. But I still worry.

I've been a special ed teacher and now a school psychologist for many years. We're not allowed to take any students of any age to a place like a basement---and certainly now with a closed door--much less a locked one!

certainly not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no reason for any teacher or staff member in any type of school to take kids to a basement and lock the door. Just think of the PTSD impact on those kids. 8 years? Unreal.

All the kids went to the basement, pretty regularly (according to my LAMB kid from that classroom) to help Mr Fernandez retrieve or put away 'science materials.' The kids understood it to be part and parcel of the Montessori curriculum where students help care for the classroom environment.

So far as my kid will admit, nothing happened when he was down there with the teacher. But I still worry.

I've been a special ed teacher and now a school psychologist for many years. We're not allowed to take any students of any age to a place like a basement---and certainly now with a closed door--much less a locked one!

certainly not

Sounds like the entire school was well aware that Fernandez took these basement trips all the time. Why was that permitted?! Overnight trips? Field trips where he's the sole chaperone? How does this happen today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no reason for any teacher or staff member in any type of school to take kids to a basement and lock the door. Just think of the PTSD impact on those kids. 8 years? Unreal.

All the kids went to the basement, pretty regularly (according to my LAMB kid from that classroom) to help Mr Fernandez retrieve or put away 'science materials.' The kids understood it to be part and parcel of the Montessori curriculum where students help care for the classroom environment.

So far as my kid will admit, nothing happened when he was down there with the teacher. But I still worry.

I've been a special ed teacher and now a school psychologist for many years. We're not allowed to take any students of any age to a place like a basement---and certainly now with a closed door--much less a locked one!

certainly not

Sounds like the entire school was well aware that Fernandez took these basement trips all the time. Why was that permitted?! Overnight trips? Field trips where he's the sole chaperone? How does this happen today?

I'm the PP who mentioned this.

I didn't know about the basement trips until 2 years later when the arrest was reported in the Washington Post. And I asked my DC about whether he ever went to the basement storage at LAMB and he said -- 'yeah, we had to help Mr Manolo get science materials from there.'

Clearly it set off an alarm with another faculty member -- because a teacher reported two incidents of this to the administration.

There were annual overnight camping trips for older children at LAMB. Multiple faculty and admins went -- parents did not. But it seems that LAMB didn't follow the standard 'no adult should ever be alone with one child' rule. But Fernandez actually seems to have assaulted a child in the presence of a second. The 'going out' field trips around DC are a Montessori thing -- and usually involved one adult taking 2-4 children someplace that the children planned an excursion to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no reason for any teacher or staff member in any type of school to take kids to a basement and lock the door. Just think of the PTSD impact on those kids. 8 years? Unreal.

All the kids went to the basement, pretty regularly (according to my LAMB kid from that classroom) to help Mr Fernandez retrieve or put away 'science materials.' The kids understood it to be part and parcel of the Montessori curriculum where students help care for the classroom environment.

So far as my kid will admit, nothing happened when he was down there with the teacher. But I still worry.

I've been a special ed teacher and now a school psychologist for many years. We're not allowed to take any students of any age to a place like a basement---and certainly now with a closed door--much less a locked one!

certainly not

Sounds like the entire school was well aware that Fernandez took these basement trips all the time. Why was that permitted?! Overnight trips? Field trips where he's the sole chaperone? How does this happen today?

I'm the PP who mentioned this.

I didn't know about the basement trips until 2 years later when the arrest was reported in the Washington Post. And I asked my DC about whether he ever went to the basement storage at LAMB and he said -- 'yeah, we had to help Mr Manolo get science materials from there.'

Clearly it set off an alarm with another faculty member -- because a teacher reported two incidents of this to the administration.

There were annual overnight camping trips for older children at LAMB. Multiple faculty and admins went -- parents did not. But it seems that LAMB didn't follow the standard 'no adult should ever be alone with one child' rule. But Fernandez actually seems to have assaulted a child in the presence of a second. The 'going out' field trips around DC are a Montessori thing -- and usually involved one adult taking 2-4 children someplace that the children planned an excursion to.

Clearly the school needs to rethink that. NEVER offsite with a single adult alone with children. I don't buy the "it's a Montessori thing"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no reason for any teacher or staff member in any type of school to take kids to a basement and lock the door. Just think of the PTSD impact on those kids. 8 years? Unreal.

All the kids went to the basement, pretty regularly (according to my LAMB kid from that classroom) to help Mr Fernandez retrieve or put away 'science materials.' The kids understood it to be part and parcel of the Montessori curriculum where students help care for the classroom environment.

So far as my kid will admit, nothing happened when he was down there with the teacher. But I still worry.

I've been a special ed teacher and now a school psychologist for many years. We're not allowed to take any students of any age to a place like a basement---and certainly now with a closed door--much less a locked one!

certainly not

Sounds like the entire school was well aware that Fernandez took these basement trips all the time. Why was that permitted?! Overnight trips? Field trips where he's the sole chaperone? How does this happen today?

I'm the PP who mentioned this.

I didn't know about the basement trips until 2 years later when the arrest was reported in the Washington Post. And I asked my DC about whether he ever went to the basement storage at LAMB and he said -- 'yeah, we had to help Mr Manolo get science materials from there.'

Clearly it set off an alarm with another faculty member -- because a teacher reported two incidents of this to the administration.

There were annual overnight camping trips for older children at LAMB. Multiple faculty and admins went -- parents did not. But it seems that LAMB didn't follow the standard 'no adult should ever be alone with one child' rule. But Fernandez actually seems to have assaulted a child in the presence of a second. The 'going out' field trips around DC are a Montessori thing -- and usually involved one adult taking 2-4 children someplace that the children planned an excursion to.

Clearly the school needs to rethink that. NEVER offsite with a single adult alone with children. I don't buy the "it's a Montessori thing"

Student-planned and led learning expeditions are very much Montessori.

The single adult chaperone part shouldn't be standard, at least not anymore.

[Anonymous]

This is so heartbreaking. We have a kid at LAMB now, and were excited at the prospect of our second going there too. I will have to give this real consideration. We aren't at the campus where this happened. I'm glad that the administration has been removed. I am hopeful that with one campus there will be more oversight and less divided attention. I'm still getting very scared to have my babies there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does Diane Cottman show up to work each day?

She is utterly shameless. She's been asked to leave, but she's sticking around until the end of the year.

In almost every conversation I've had with her since this abuse scandal, she will refer to the fact that people are saying nasty things about her online.

I hope this lawsuit is a wake-uo call. I doubt it though. She's delusional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does Diane Cottman show up to work each day?

She is utterly shameless. She's been asked to leave, but she's sticking around until the end of the year.

In almost every conversation I've had with her since this abuse scandal, she will refer to the fact that people are saying nasty things about her online.

I hope this lawsuit is a wake-uo call. I doubt it though. She's delusional.

The Board should fire her immediately. It's inexcusable that they have not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does Diane Cottman show up to work each day?

She is utterly shameless. She's been asked to leave, but she's sticking around until the end of the year.

In almost every conversation I've had with her since this abuse scandal, she will refer to the fact that people are saying nasty things about her online.

I hope this lawsuit is a wake-uo call. I doubt it though. She's delusional.

The LAMB Board says it asked her to stay until the end of the year to 'assist with the transition.' They could absolutely lock her out of the building today if they wanted to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does Diane Cottman show up to work each day?

She is utterly shameless. She's been asked to leave, but she's sticking around until the end of the year.

In almost every conversation I've had with her since this abuse scandal, she will refer to the fact that people are saying nasty things about her online.

I hope this lawsuit is a wake-uo call. I doubt it though. She's delusional.

The LAMB Board says it asked her to stay until the end of the year to 'assist with the transition.' They could absolutely lock her out of the building today if they wanted to.

Why would you want someone with such questionable judgment "assisting with the transition????"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so heartbreaking. We have a kid at LAMB now, and were excited at the prospect of our second going there too. I will have to give this real consideration. We aren't at the campus where this happened. I'm glad that the administration has been removed. I am hopeful that with one campus there will be more oversight and less divided attention. I'm still getting very scared to have my babies there.

The fact that numerous LAMB teachers spoke out, repeatedly about this teacher should make you feel better. More than one person stuck their neck out to protect the kids. The administration just couldn't or didn't want to believe it could happen.

The administrators who looked the other way are gone (counselor and Encinas). Cottman will be gone in June.

The Board should have asked more questions at the time, IMO. A few new Board members have been added in the wake of this, and they are outsiders, not people known to Cottman. I hope all of the old ones are replaced asap.

Honestly, I think right now your child is safer there, than almost anywhere else because LAMB under a microscope and everyone has learned a hard lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does Diane Cottman show up to work each day?

She is utterly shameless. She's been asked to leave, but she's sticking around until the end of the year.

In almost every conversation I've had with her since this abuse scandal, she will refer to the fact that people are saying nasty things about her online.

I hope this lawsuit is a wake-uo call. I doubt it though. She's delusional.

The LAMB Board says it asked her to stay until the end of the year to 'assist with the transition.' They could absolutely lock her out of the building today if they wanted to.

Why would you want someone with such questionable judgment "assisting with the transition????"

I know, right? Makes absolutely no sense.

I suspect she's mostly there to complete the new building acquisition, something she's done several times for the school. But IMO even that expertise would NOT be worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so heartbreaking. We have a kid at LAMB now, and were excited at the prospect of our second going there too. I will have to give this real consideration. We aren't at the campus where this happened. I'm glad that the administration has been removed. I am hopeful that with one campus there will be more oversight and less divided attention. I'm still getting very scared to have my babies there.

The fact that numerous LAMB teachers spoke out, repeatedly about this teacher should make you feel better. More than one person stuck their neck out to protect the kids. The administration just couldn't or didn't want to believe it could happen.

The administrators who looked the other way are gone (counselor and Encinas). Cottman will be gone in June.

The Board should have asked more questions at the time, IMO. A few new Board members have been added in the wake of this, and they are outsiders, not people known to Cottman. I hope all of the old ones are replaced asap.

Honestly, I think right now your child is safer there, than almost anywhere else because LAMB under a microscope and everyone has learned a hard lesson.

This thinking is so delusional.

I am a teacher and a parent. I actually entered the LAMB lottery in 2016 and got a spot but we declined, for a few reasons. I actually didn't love the administrators that I met while touring though of course I had no idea that things were this bad.

Having taught in multiple charter schools in DC, I would 100% not send my child to LAMB at this point and I am very glad I didn't in the past.