The Attack That Killed A School

I was not the only person who saw Penstock attack Henderson. A large and powerful man, he beat the defenseless child in a fit of alcoholic rage. When I pulled Penstock off the child and threw him out of the building, all the others went on with their lunch as if nothing had happened. Later, during the official cover-up, they claimed that I claimed to have seen really did not happen at all. The member of the Board of Trustees to whom I told the story in effect confessed moral and managerial bankruptcy, and betrayed his duty, by saying, "This is a matter for the (head of school) to deal with, because we Trustees have to observe boundaries..."

Thus, in January 2002, began the final descent of a once-venerable 120-year old school. A handful of highly public lawsuits followed over later acts of abuse and hazing. They were all covered in juicy detail by the CBS affiliate in New York City, among other media outlets, using information leaked by the attorney for the plaintiffs. The school denied all responsibility, even publicly questioned whether the 'alleged' events even happened. But the school conducted an show investigation for public relations purposes, the results of which were never published after the lawsuites dropped out of the press. The bad press helped the enrollment drop almost immediately by about one-third, and has never recovered. During all this, the school was reaccredited "with commendations," and a major government agency awarded the school "honor" status.

Now the school is dying a slow death, as it should, given its low culture, but ruining careers and ill-serving students and parents as it goes.