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Post is reporting a teacher was asked to resign on an allegation from 20 years ago:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/05/04/sidwell-friends-school-puts-teacher-on-leave-citing-decades-old-accusation-of-inappropriate-touching/?utm_term=.0ba150cd5275 |
| An email went out to the school community about this this morning. |
| To be clear, for those who don't read the article, it was for something that happened at another school, although it's certainly possible that Sidwell students could come forward now. |
| Well, honestly this sadly isn't news anymore. |
and that a former administrator at Sidwell know about the abuse but hired him anyway. |
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There are no reports that any current or former Sidwell students were impacted. The administrator in question apparently left years ago.
At this point, it seems to be fact finding and making sure the community is a safe and the issue isolated. |
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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. |
| I'm an alum who doesn't go overboard pro-SFS and am not sending my kids there; that said, I thought the email was lovely and proactive. |
Idiotic. |
According to Sidwell's letter, the teacher admitted, when questioned by Sidwell, to "inappropriate touching" at the previous school. (But, correct, despite a report to local authorities no charges were filed). Question in my mind is whether a teacher who so far as we know has been an upstanding school citizen for 20 years should be fired for what was (in the judgment of a local prosecutor) a non-criminal act that occurred 20+ years ago at a different school. I'm not sure the answer is obvious . . . although I suspect to insurance companies there is only one answer. |
Agreed. |
There is something worse, a child's innocence being taken away by a pervert who has authority over him/her. |
np: The Sidwell letter said "Michael related that he had resigned from that previous teaching position because he had engaged in inappropriate physical contact with a then-14-year-old female student." How is that proclaiming innocence? |
"we can confirm that Michael's former school reported the incident to law enforcement and that no charges were filed." |
WTF! I don't give a F how long ago it was or how great he has been for 20 years... that you know of. You make a bad decision about inappropriately touching a minor, guess what ... your life and her life are changed. No... he does not get off for being a nice guy for 20 year... that we know of. You f'd up... now go teach adults not kids. |