Maureen Dowd column on Landon

[Anonymous]

Landon alum demonstrates the problem, just as many of the Landon parents in this forum.

The institution needs a serious wake-up call, or it will suffer from its own inertia. It is up to their Board and leadership to take action. Either they will or won't. Any outside consultant for the school reading this forum would provide a tremendous service to them.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Landon parent here. Coming from a legal standpoint but on what grounds can Landon take action here. Folks this happened back in August. The 5 boys involved were 14 years old, heading into their 9th grade year. There was never a party but rather boys were talking about what girls and moms they would like to sleep with. Shame on these kids for putting it on the internet but where does a school draw a line between "parenting" and being an educator.

I have also learned since this episode occured back in August, 4 out of the 5 boys have really cleaned up their acts and appear to be heading in the right direction. I'm a big believer in 2nd chances, I believe kids fu*K up. They are young, immature and naive. How kids respond to their mistakes truly displays their character.

[Anonymous]

They can have their 2nd chances just not at Landon.

[Anonymous]

Landon should have expelled these kids. Landon is a private school and can do whatever it wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Landon parent here. Coming from a legal standpoint but on what grounds can Landon take action here. Folks this happened back in August. The 5 boys involved were 14 years old, heading into their 9th grade year. There was never a party but rather boys were talking about what girls and moms they would like to sleep with. Shame on these kids for putting it on the internet but where does a school draw a line between "parenting" and being an educator.

I have also learned since this episode occured back in August, 4 out of the 5 boys have really cleaned up their acts and appear to be heading in the right direction. I'm a big believer in 2nd chances, I believe kids fu*K up. They are young, immature and naive. How kids respond to their mistakes truly displays their character.

This is the first reasonable response I've seen from a Landon parent. (No, I'm not one. I've actually been one of their big critics on these pages.)

As to the question about a line between parenting and educating--attendance at Landon is a privilege, and subject to the code of conduct, which reaches beyond simply conduct within the walls.

I'm glad to hear that the boys seem to have cleaned up their act. That said, it seems that Landon's culture breeds this behavior--either because of the all-boy, jock focus is nurtured there, or Landon attracts kids who, through a combination of parenting and schooling, turn out to be disrespectful of women. The numerous incidents suggest it is time for Landon to do some real soul-searching. The list of alumni is really not that notable, and the fact that the board contains so many "Mr." and not "Dr." suggests the school is really not very elite after all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First time poster here! I just learned about this website and boy do some of you guys have a lot of time on your hands. Just how credible is this website - when everyone is anonymous.

As a Landon alum, I think what these Landon boys did was wrong, I have a daughter who attends SR and a younger boy heading into 7th grade at Landon - he has loved his time at Landon thus far.

As a previous poster said, if you put a microscope under any private school in the are, you will find some skeletons in the closet.

The Washington Post IMO has a fixation with the Landon school for boys. Is it because its not affiliated with a church? maybe? Just this past winter, several junior boys from Georgetown Prep were caught smoking dope in the dorms - including some lax players, and yes one stud lacrosse player. There was never article in the post about this - nor should there be. (and yes the Prep lacrosse player is still in school too)

A STA student brings a hand gun to campus and shoots it off in the woods - one of them was an STA lacrosse player. Were those boys expelled. The post had a tiny blurb the next day in the Metro section about this.

St. Stephens - best lacrosse player this year, was just expelled from SS.SA for dealing pot on campus. A few other kids were involved - the post never reported that story.

A few Whitman students were recently caught trading pornographic pictures of young student - the Post didn't seem to cover this story.

Lets not forget about the "tea bagging" days at Georgetown Prep when football and lacrosse players would stick their testicles in the mouths of rookie players making the varsity.

As for Landon's SAT scandal, if you think, the landon boys were the only boys cheating that morning in the Holton Arms library that morning - you are mistaken.

Again, I'm not defending these current Landon students but I ask - why was this article even covered in the first place. Is there nothing else for Maureen Dowd to write about ( PS Maureen Dowd had two nephews who attended Georgetown Prep) For all you moms out there, if you don't think your 8th grade son has ever looked at porn or thought about "scoring" at a party, you are in la la land. If you don't think other kids at other private schools are dreaming about having sex with their female friends, your living on another planet. These boys were dumb enough to post this crap on the internet.

1. You do know that Maureen Dowd's column appeared in the NY Times, not the Post, right? So this persecution complex about the Post seems misplaced.

2. Like it or not, Landon, and its students, are going to be subject to enhanced scrutiny in the immediate future. You may not agree with it, but if you can't understand it, I really can't help you.

3. Sputtering "well, there is bad behavior at other schools that hasn't been punished/covered!!" misses the point

4. Despite paying lip service to the notion that this behavior is wrong, your clear view seems to be, “everyone does it, it wasn’t so bad, they were just stupid enough to post it on the internet.” As others have pointed out, this goes far beyond coveting the hot girl in class. If you really believe that this is just “boys will be boys” behavior, please be so kind as to post your name so others can tell their daughters to avoid your son.

[Anonymous]

Regarding second chances, would these kids be offered one of they were poor, black, and in public school? How much is privilege playing into our perception of these boys?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Landon parent here. Coming from a legal standpoint but on what grounds can Landon take action here. Folks this happened back in August. The 5 boys involved were 14 years old, heading into their 9th grade year. There was never a party but rather boys were talking about what girls and moms they would like to sleep with. Shame on these kids for putting it on the internet but where does a school draw a line between "parenting" and being an educator.

I have also learned since this episode occured back in August, 4 out of the 5 boys have really cleaned up their acts and appear to be heading in the right direction. I'm a big believer in 2nd chances, I believe kids fu*K up. They are young, immature and naive. How kids respond to their mistakes truly displays their character.

You misleadingly understate the misbehavior of the boys involved. There was no party ONLY BECAUSE the party was thwarted by a parent's discovery of the party plans. The boys were doing more than "talk about what girls and moms they would like to sleep with;" they were planning to invite the girls to a party so that they could try to have sexual contact with them and rack up points for sexual conquests.

Your downplaying the misbehavior of the boys shows what is wrong with Landon culture and the Landon parents who support and defend it even in the face of repeated incidents showing that the culture is rotten at the core.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And when the girls "sext" the boys, as has been happening all over the country, can the boys be found guilty of having pornographic images of under-age girls in their possession?

Unsolicited sexting photos can and should be reported. No need to get a DS in trouble when there are girls who do this and provide easy services to the "I have needs" types. It's simple and there 's a link on verizon's website. I 'm not sure about the ages so check websites.

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/Messaging-Text-Picture-IM-etc/Teens-and-quot-Sexting-quot/td-p/129374/page/3

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=2447

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=2936

Since most HS girls are not redshirts you all should be covered. Federal crime to produce child porn of a minor under age 18.

[Anonymous]

These boys have not cleaned up their acts. They have learned not to post their intentions or lists on websites. I wonder if Landon posters child socializes with these kids...or if Landon parent poster is one of these boys parents.
At any rate, it's business as usual with these boys. They need to leave the school. They have further damaged the schools reputation. They have damaged their class for a number of years now. They will continue to damage their class if they aren't removed.

[Anonymous]

Landon is the best boors' school in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

I have been told that one of these oafs was invited to leave his former school 2 years ago. It seems he was pushing girls into lockers and that behavior could not be stopped by the school.

[Anonymous]

I see it all the time at schools: students kept on even though they are a blight on the class. Their parents are alums or donors or power players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see it all the time at schools: students kept on even though they are a blight on the class. Their parents are alums or donors or power players.

Maybe applications or yields are down and five expulsions risked losing an annual $150K on the Landon top line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incorrect on the BB gun incident in part. Nobody took gun into woods, but boys picked gun up out of car and sighted towards woods (prompting 911 calls from passerby b/c gun had scope and looked like a real rifle). Both were seniors. Both got same punishment; suspended for rest of school year but after completion of academic work allowed to participate in graduation and related activities.

Story was 2 boys drove to school, and parked the car for the day. BB gun in the back seat. One boy went to class. Boy 2, on his own, (being respectful who these boys are), went into the woods. Had never shot a bb gun. tried it, put it back in the car, went to class. A mom saw him in the woods with a 'sniper rifle', called the police, and the school (and close, and Sidwell) were locked down in minutes. BB gun was found in the back seat of the car. Car was traced. Boys were hauled out of class in cuffs. Its all in the news reports, and video is on the web.

The boys were barred from school for the remainder of the year. The senior, a star in every sense (academically his star) and 18 was charged with "transporting a BB gun" in DC. The other boy, a minor, was charged with possessing a BB gun in DC.

I have a boy there. This was a stupid thing for these boys to do, it was in fact trivially minor, and they were hugely punished. Thats the way it should be. Thats the way it should be at Landon.

The defining quote at the Cathedral, in my opinion, is that of Paul Herman, Head of the Lower School, for decades. When a line is crossed about morality, OR stupidity, he looks at the boy, (and his parents) and says "We just don't do that here", and he means it. Thats what male role models need to say to young men, and that is what young men with testosterone and big dreams need to understand about how they use their strength and their brains.

Was the second boy a junior or senior and was he suspended or expelled, and were any college acceptances rescinded?