New Sidwell Scandal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Re. the article: something is off about how public this is being made in the WaPo as opposed to pressing charges. Having the BF call schools but then being comfortable being interviewed by the press. It's strange.

Any statute of limitations has long since passed, and the prosecutor declined to bring charges 20 years ago - it would be very difficult to reopen that now. So really the only thing that's going to happen is that the teacher won't work again at Sidwell or elsewhere. And of course the Post puts full coverage on this - a parent probably sent the email to a reporter, and they followed up - juicy stuff at an "elite" prep school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pete Peterson didn't have a spotless record while at Sidwell. There is a difference.

How was his record not spotless -- until the criminal act was discovered? Our oldest was in 9th, I believe, when the story broke and, as I recall, everyone was gobsmacked.

Nope - everyone was not gobsmacked. PP would have been at the top of most people's lists if someone asked he question, "which MS teacher do you think might do something sketchy?" MH would have been near the bottom.

I was at Sidwell when Peterson taught there. My brother was friends with his son. I totally disagree with what you're saying. It was a shock to everyone. I don't know Henderson so can't comment on that.

How hard is it to call a couple references from a teacher's previous school. There were directories and phones twenty years ago.
But the problem here is that Sidwell knew there was a problem when he was hired.

Which could be relevant if there had been a problem with him at Sidwell. But apparently, there hasn't been. In fact, he's been quite highly thought of.

How on earth do you know there hasn't been a problem with him over the past twenty years? The victim's description of her experience in the Post is Bill Cosby kind of behavior, but with a child. And you somehow know that it hasn't recurred in the past two decades?

[Anonymous]

How do these perverts find their way to Private schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I'll be the first one to point out that no charges were filed, the man proclaimed innocence and it's effectively his word against hers. And inappropriate touching can mean anything and especially lends itself to misunderstandings that may have had nothing to do with inappropriate touching.

In other words I am not jumping on the bandwagon of shouting abuse and proclaiming him an enemy who must be hunted down because, after all, THINK OF THE CHILDREN, just because of one girl said, without knowing anything else.

For the girl's sake and even his sake, I genuinely hope there was indeed inappropriate touching for there is nothing worse than an innocent man's life destroyed through spurious gossip and political correctness.

He admitted to SF that he was fired for inappropriate contact with a 14 year old. He admitted that.
Read more carefully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do these perverts find their way to Private schools?

There's so damned many of them!!

[Anonymous]

Dear 6:56 - Did those words really just come out of your mouth? You are an absolute idiot. I read the letter, as did everyone else, I am sure. The issue is that a supposed top school that charges over $40k per child hired someone with a questionable past to look after and educate their children. Would you pay top dollar to have a pedophile be in charge of your children all day? Who cares if the administrative person who hired this guy no longer works at Sidwell? The problem is that this guy was hired in the first place. They knew of his questionable past and still hired him! Not to mention the fact that decisions to hire teachers are not made by one person, I am sure there is a review board or a small group who makes these decisions. Regardless of how it happened, this person was hired and decisions such as these do not happen in a bubble. This was not that long ago, we had the the internet and phones - a little research may have helped. Although they admit to knowing about his past, so I guess they didn't care, which just makes this that much more egregious. Who cares if one administrator who was involved in the hire is no longer at Sidwell. The question should be, how many other poor hire choices were made? How many other poor choices in general have been made? If a school is going to charge $40k for each student and encourage the daughters of Presidents to attend their schools then you think they would be more responsible, thoughtful, and intelligent about the decisions they make. Instead, it is embarrassing, shameful, and inexcusable!

[Anonymous]

One person knew about it and ignored it, for whatever reason. When the current leadership found out, they took immediate action.

The person in question led an otherwise exemplary tenure at the school.

What it egregious? Yes.

But the matter is settled now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do these perverts find their way to Private schools?

There's so damned many of them!!

NP.

Check out the MoCo list on this thread if you want to be really disturbed. http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/135/633464.page#10866577

This thread can't seem to decide whether Sidwell is at fault for acting too quickly, or Sidwell is at fault for acting too slowly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do these perverts find their way to Private schools?

There's so damned many of them!!

NP.

Check out the MoCo list on this thread if you want to be really disturbed. http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/135/633464.page#10866577

This thread can't seem to decide whether Sidwell is at fault for acting too quickly, or Sidwell is at fault for acting too slowly.

MCPS is a huge system with 25 high schools at varying levels. Sidwell is supposed to be the most elite school in the country. Three highly publicized sexual offense instances in the last few years is way way too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One person knew about it and ignored it, for whatever reason. When the current leadership found out, they took immediate action.

The person in question led an otherwise exemplary tenure at the school.

What it egregious? Yes.

But the matter is settled now.

Keep telling yourself that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do these perverts find their way to Private schools?

There's so damned many of them!!

NP.

Check out the MoCo list on this thread if you want to be really disturbed. http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/135/633464.page#10866577

This thread can't seem to decide whether Sidwell is at fault for acting too quickly, or Sidwell is at fault for acting too slowly.

MCPS is a huge system with 25 high schools at varying levels. Sidwell is supposed to be the most elite school in the country. Three highly publicized sexual offense instances in the last few years is way way too much.

How in the world did you come to that conclusion?

[Anonymous]

It's so amazing to me that people are defending this guy, "because he didn't do anything to MY child".

It is the reason there are so many pedophiles in schools.... It should be 1 strike you are out, but they just get passed around because nobody wants to deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do these perverts find their way to Private schools?

There's so damned many of them!!

NP.

Check out the MoCo list on this thread if you want to be really disturbed. http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/135/633464.page#10866577

This thread can't seem to decide whether Sidwell is at fault for acting too quickly, or Sidwell is at fault for acting too slowly.

MCPS is a huge system with 25 high schools at varying levels. Sidwell is supposed to be the most elite school in the country. Three highly publicized sexual offense instances in the last few years is way way too much.

How in the world did you come to that conclusion?

For the love. Whether it is or isn't is irrelevant. Point being, Sidwell is definitely having too many of these instances and needs to take a SERIOUS look at its hiring policies. It blows my mind that people are defending this guy. But I guess when you pay that much you wear expensive blinders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do these perverts find their way to Private schools?

The same way they find their way to Public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do these perverts find their way to Private schools?

There's so damned many of them!!

NP.

Check out the MoCo list on this thread if you want to be really disturbed. http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/135/633464.page#10866577

This thread can't seem to decide whether Sidwell is at fault for acting too quickly, or Sidwell is at fault for acting too slowly.

MCPS is a huge system with 25 high schools at varying levels. Sidwell is supposed to be the most elite school in the country. Three highly publicized sexual offense instances in the last few years is way way too much.

One. Only one happened at SFS. This most recent one was a poor hiring decision and there is no evidence anything happened at SFS and the reports from the original incident in CO are inconclusive at best. The 3rd was inappropriate use of work email between two consenting adults.