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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yes, my b.s. comment is in reference to the suggestion that any girls at NCS are prohibited from speaking due to confidentiality agreements. As to the rest, all I will say is that as a parent with no connection or loyalty to her, I'm very comfortable that the HoS (and administration generally) is very supportive of girls at the school in these circumstances.[/quote]

Now I know you are joking.

They shut down the Google doc. They lectured the girls for reporting incidents of assault and abuse. And when the HoS wrote a letter two weeks ago about how the girls should be supported, an open letter by NCS girls was posted on a student-run social media account calling her out for that hypocrisy. It cited the document and an incident in which multiple girls reported assaults by one STA boy who was allowed to graduate anyway (and was later suspended by his college for - you guessed it - sexual assault). They chided her for not believing the brave girls who have come forward before.

I don’t believe you actually have a daughter at NCS, especially not in the US. Or else your daughter doesn’t talk to you.[/quote]
No, I'm not joking. Let's start with the NDA point... are you stating that there are girls at NCS who are barred from speaking pursuant to the terms of NDAs? If so, please provide evidence of that statement. As to the rest, is it really your position that girls were lectured because they reported assault allegations? C'mon. Even if I were to support your side, your characterization of what allegedly happened is unrealistic.[/quote]

NDA? No - I did not bring up any NDAs. I said that that was clearly untrue.

As for the part about the girls getting lectured: sure, the boys were "talked to." But the sophomore girls who started the google doc DID get in trouble. My own daughter had to sit through a lecture about how the girls shouldn't have shared those stories publicly. That was just in 2015, so again - I don't think you are actually an US parent. For a parent to now say that they trust the administration would support the girls - when the girls themselves are expressing their skepticism - is silly. And I've seen the letters from the Heads. I saw the STA op-ed by three senior boys, too. So glad that people might FINALLY listen to the girls, but not holding my breath given the extensive history.

[/quote]
To be clear, my head is not in the sand. This is an issue that definitely concerns me (both on the Close, and elsewhere), and I can assure you I will hold the administration accountable (including the new HoS that joins next year) as a parent if these types issues are not addressed going forward to the extent they exist/arise.

With respect to the Google doc, there was a 20+ page thread on this in 2014, so I'm not going to rehash it. I actually think the doc raises serious issues about the culture that exists at STA, and my eyes are wide open about it. That being said, I don't think it was improper for the NCS admin to shut down that document down given that it could be edited anonymously by anyone, and that it had the effect of airing accusations in a public way and of invading the privacy of students (including victims who contributed believing it would not be shared). As I understood it, the document was started in the spirit of being a "safe space" for discussion, and got shared by some students with STA students. At that point, I think it became counterproductive. If there are students who feel that they raised issues that weren't sufficiently addressed by the administration (which is disappointing to hear), I hope they will persist in re-raising the issues. The email that was sent out 2 weeks ago made clear that the school wants to hear these stories, no matter how old.

In any event, we can agree to disagree on the current HoS (and I very well could be wrong). My own personal view is that the she takes these issues very seriously and is supportive of students, but what matters more is how the recently arrived Headmaster at STA and the incoming HoS at NCS take them. Time will tell, and I'm sure that these issues will be scrutinized. If I don't see action and accountability if/when future issues arise, I will not hesitate in changing my mind about the school and administration.[/quote]

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