Sex Abuse Scandal Erupts at St. George's School-newport, Ri
By Mary Ann Mueller
The Boston Globe made headlines in 2002 for uncovering a massive pedophile priest scandal within the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Uncovering the archdiocese's cover up eventually brought Bernard Cardinal Law to his knees, shed light on the pedophilia priest problem in the Catholic Church and earned the Massachusetts' newspaper a coveted Pulitzer. The Globe's journalistic achievement was also turned into an Academy Awarding movie -- Spotlight. Now The Globe is shining its investigative laser on St. George's School, an elite Episcopal boarding-day school in Middletown, Rhode Island. The story, which ferreted out a decades-long abuse by clergy and teachers, broke in December, making St. George's one of a growing list of Episcopal educational institutions to be recently entangled in sex scandals; some alleged abuse dating back decades. A partial list of prestigious educational institutions with now tarnished reputations with or without Episcopal Church ties, includes: St. Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire; Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire; St. John's Military Academy, Salina, Kansas; Milton Academy, Milton, Massachusetts; Horace Mann School, the Bronx, New York; Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, Massachusetts; Hotchkiss School and the Indian Mountain School both in Lakeville, Connecticut; as well as St. George's. The first inkling that St. George's was keeping a deep dark secret slowly started to come to light a year ago. On April 7, 2015, Headmaster Eric F. Peterson and Board of Trustees Chairman Francis S. Branin, Jr. wrote to the members of the St. George's Community: "We write to you today to share a sad and difficult matter with all members of the St. George's community. In response to information provided by alumni who attended the School in the 1970s and 1980s, we have come to believe that at least one former employee of the School may have engaged in sexual misconduct with students in those years. Though the events in question took place many years ago, it is tragic and deeply troubling that anything like this could have occurred in our community." The pair announced that the school had "engaged an experienced investigator to conduct a full and independent inquiry, with the leadership and guidance of legal and psychological experts." They urged anyone who had experience sexual misconduct or know of anyone who had or had other pertinent information to contact the school's investigator William Hannum, III. "It is important that the School have a full and accurate understanding of any misconduct that may have occurred, so that we can do our best to support and protect every former, current, and future member of the School community," they wrote. In August, Headmaster Peterson joined by the Board of Trustee's new Chairman Leslie B. Heaney (a 1992 St. George's School graduate), gave the St. George's School alumni an update: "In the past few months, we have heard from a wide range of alumni, former parents, and faculty who have been associated with St. George's over the past fifty years, regarding the actions of several former employees... Every student who has ever attended St. George's is part of its history and its legacy, and in accord with that legacy and our values, we want to do all we can to acknowledge and support anyone who may have suffered due to past misconduct." Another update was issued in early November, noting that the investigation surrounding sexual misconduct was zeroing in on three suspects who were no longer employed by the school and whose alleged transgressions took place in the mid 1970- through the late 1980s. "Based on information gathered from alumni, past parents, current and former trustees, and current and former employees, we have identified multiple credible reports of sexual misconduct at the school, ranging from unprofessional behaviors to outright sexual assault," Headmaster Peterson and Chairman Heaney wrote identifying former, now deceased, athletic trainer Al Gibbs and "two living perpetrators who no longer live in Rhode Island. "In deference to the authorities and any possible criminal prosecutions, we are not publicly identifying them at this time," they wrote. Boston Newspaper Breaks Story On December 14, 2015, the Boston Globe broke the story of St. George's hidden secret. "Former student forces R.I. prep school to confront its past" the newspaper's headline read. In The Globe's story, Anne Scott recalled her school days at St. George's. She first was admitted to the elite Episcopal co-ed prep school in 1977 as a 15-year-old sophomore. Because she was a budding athlete in three sports, she encountered the school's 67-year-old Athletic Director, Al Gibbs. The newspaper's story reports that Gibbs "molested and raped her, and threatened to come after her if she told anyone." Ms. Scott hid the abuse, but it preyed on her. She suffered. She was withdrawn, anxious, and upset. Her grades suffered. Finally, she gathered enough courage to confront St. George's, with the help of attorney Eric MacLeish, the same lawyer who would latter aggressively pursue justice for sexual abuse victims at the hands of the Boston Archdiocese priests. But Ms. Scott's case was the first abuse case he handled. He filed a $10 million lawsuit against St. George's. The school circled the wagons, and the young abuse victim folded. Eventually, she moved overseas and slowly started to piece her life back together. Through the years she reportedly suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, dissociative disorder, anorexia, bulimia, and major depression resulting in psychiatric hospitalizations. Fast forward nearly four decades and Ms. Scott is ready to confront St. George's again. She reconnected with her former lawyer and decided it was time to seek accountability to force St. George's to face itself and reveal its sordid past. Ms. Scott and MacLeish, both older and wiser, were out to uncover St. George's dirty little secret -- years of sexual abuse by clergy, faculty and staff hidden by decades of covering up the truth. "This was the school's dirty secret,'' MacLeish told The Globe. "They're an educational institution with a mission statement of respect and compassion, and they acted in a way that is completely at odds with that." Last year Ms. Scott again confronted St. George's with its deep dark sexual secrets thus forcing the school to launch an internal investigation, hire Will Hannum as its investigator, issue alumni letters explaining the unfolding dilemma, and even set up a victim's therapy fund. Once The Globe broke the story and other former St. George's abuse victims read it, the dam burst. More school abuse victims garnered the courage to confront their own abusive past and speak up, forcing the Rhode Island institute to deal with its past. St. George's Founding History St. George's School has a rich history. It was founded in 1896, by the Rev. Mr. John Byron Diman, who is described by the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame as an Episcopal deacon, who "never received priestly ordination in the Episcopal Church." He was theologically educated at Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and served as the "first permanent rector" of St. Columba's Church in Middletown. He was charged with turning the seasonal chapel into a year around place of worship for the outlying community. He arranged for two services on Sunday with accompanying Bible study classes. He also taught at the University Grammar School in Providence. In 1896, the Episcopal deacon, and his sister Emily, founded Diman's School for Small Boys as a boarding and day school for boys on Catherine Street in Newport. It was also under his tutelage that the Diman's School moved to Middletown, taking the name St. George's School, although the Episcopal school is still referred to as St. George's School-Newport. Since St. George's School served a decidedly upper class clientele, Deacon Diman also established Diman Vocational School in Fall River, Massachusetts, to provide educational opportunities for working class boys. Deacon Diman maintained the headmastership of St. George's until the end of 1916-'17 school year. He served as founding headmaster for 21 years, all the while teaching Latin and English. During his time as headmaster, the school maintained close ties with St. Columba's since there was no chapel at the school. St. George's students walked to St. Columba's for Sunday services where St. George's faculty priests celebrated the Service of Holy Communion. Following his departure from St. George's, the Episcopal vocational deacon became a Roman Catholic during Advent, 1917. He studied Catholic theology in Rome and at a Benedictine abbey in Scotland. He eventually was ordained a Benedictine priest, taking the religious name of Fr. Hugh, and he helped to found St. Anselm's Abbey in Washington, DC, where he eventually became the prior. He also founded Portsmouth Priory School, a Benedictine classical education school for boys in Portsmouth, RI. Much has happened at St. George's School in the 100 years since its founding headmaster stepped down. Many of America's uppercrust attended the school, including the Astors, Vanderbilts and Bushes. One former student, John Nicholas Brown II, Class of 1918, became an Assistant Secretary of the Navy (AIR). He donated St. George's chapel as hisfirst philanthropic act, for he remembered having to walk two miles to St. Columba for Sunday church services. Fr. "Howdy" White's Trail of Trauma Once the news started to circulate about decades-old sexual abuse at St. George's School, more hidden information was revealed. One such tidbit was that an assistant chaplain, the Rev. Howard H. White, Jr., was quietly fired from the School in 1974. After being relieved of his duties, the Episcopal priest started a trek of being moved around from location to location, and left behind him a "Trail of Trauma" -- as the Providence Journal describes it. He allegedly became a serial abuser of childrenas young as 10, and, apparently, his activities were covered up by those-in-the-know. Fr. White was ordained in 1966, and the Providence Journal notes that he has served in parishes and schools along the Eastern Seaboard. In 1969, Fr. White allegedly abuses his godson at Oral Lake, West Virginia; in 1974, he was fired as an assistant chaplain at St. George's for sexual misconduct; 1984 found him at Grace Church in Waynesville, NC, where he was documented as abusing his foster son in the rectory; in 1996, Fr. White's godson sues him and the Diocese of West Virginia for the 1960's Oral Lake abuse; in 1998, the godson's case is dismissed because of statute of limitation issues; in 2000, West Virginia upheld the lower court's statuteof limitations ruling; in 2007, Fr. White retires and becomes long-term supply priest at St. James, in Bedford, Pennsylvania; in 2015, the Boston Globe breaks the story of systemic sexual abuse at St. George's School; in 2016, the Wayneville, NC Police Department launches an investigation into Fr. White's 22 years as rector at Grace Church, as a woman comes forward with tales of being abused as a minor; in 2016, the Rhode Island State Police launches a criminal investigation into the growing abuse allegations at St. George's School; in 2016, Bishop Audrey Scanlan (XI Central Pennsylvania) removes Fr. White was supply priest at St. James-Bedford and restricts his ministry; in 2016, Fr. White is to celebrate 50 years as an Episcopal priest. The Episcopal Cafe reports that Fr. White has also served under the leadership of 14 Episcopal bishops and has been on staff at other elite preparatory schools, including chaplain at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire, prior to going to St. George's; academic dean and chaplain, Chatham Hall in Virginia; and assistant headmaster at the Asheville Country Day School in North Carolina. St. George's Sex Scandal Widens Once The Globe broke the story of systemic sexual abuse at St. George's numerous former students have come forward with memories of abuse at the school. The Boston newspaper reports that "more than 40 people have contacted them [St. George's] with stories ranging from molestation, to rape by staff and students" dating back to the 1970s and '80s. In addition to Fr. White being identified as an abuser a former choral director and dorm master, Franklin Coleman, was named. After being fired in 1988 for misconduct he eventually went on to be the choral director at Tampa Preparatory School in Florida. A position he held for more than a decade. The New York Times reports that at least seven St. George's faculty and staff members and four pupils were engaged in improper sexual conduct, including rape, with the prep school students for thirty years, from about 1974 through 2004. At the time, none of these allegations were reported to police authorities. Since news of sexual misconduct, abuse and rape broke at St. George's, the Rhode Island State Police are encouraging former students to come forward with information if they were either abused or witnessed the abuse of their classmates. "The magnitude and scope of this is already approaching the largest private school sexual abuse case that we've seen, which was at Horace Mann, where 62 victims came forward," MacLeish told The Times. He predicted that more victims would eventually come forward with their stories of abuse at the school. Heads are beginning to roll. In January. St. George's Associate Head for External Affairs Bob Weston, has been placed on administrative leave for "observing appropriate boundaries with students" as a dorm parent during the 1990s. This was announced by the school in an April 6 update by Headmaster Peterson and Board of Trustee Chairman Heaney. In fact some alumni are calling for Peterson to step down because they feel he did not take seriously the complaints from the victims as they came forward. "Eric Peterson has been covering this up since 2004," explained Harry Groome a 1984 St. George's graduate, who also suffered sexual abuse at the school. However the school is pushing back, and said that the headmaster will remain in place, and that he supported a "vigorous investigation of alleged sexual abuse", demonstrating compassion and empathy with former students who have come forward. Investigator Replacements St. George's original investigator, William Hannum, has been replaced by Scott Harshbarger, the former Massachusetts attorney general. Hannum's replacement came when concerns were raised about his ability to remain impartial, since he is the husband and law partner of the school's legal counsel, Sara Schwartz. Fears were that this close personal and working relationship could compromise the investigation's confidentiality and damage its credibility. Hannun told The Globe: "Our marriage has never been secret and has no bearing on my ability to conduct a proper investigation into the truth, which is exactly what I've done. Neither Sara nor I have ever allowed, nor would we ever allow, our personal union to affect our professional responsibility to clients." Schwartz Hannum is a small law firm based in Andover, Massachusetts, which specializes in educational law and conflict resolution. The school relented and sought an independent third party investigator. Shortly after Hannum was replaced by Harshbarger, he was replaced by the current independent investigator, Martin F. Murphy, a former Middlesex County, Massachusetts prosecutor. The second change of investigator came because Harshbarger and the school could not come to an "agreement on legal terms of engagement." At least one identified St. George's abuser is currently serving time in a New York federal prison. Timothy Tefft is serving five years for possession of child pornography, not molestation. Tefft, then editor of the Greenwich Journal and Salem Press, pleaded guilty to downloading Internet child pornography on his weekly newspaper's computer and saving the pictures on a thumb drive, which he mistakenly left at the Saratoga Casino And Raceway. Once the device was identified, the FBI got involved in the investigation, which toppled Tefft. In addition to being on St. George's faculty in the early 1970s, Tefft also was a teacher at the Brunswick School, a boys' college preparatory school in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was also accused of abuse at that school during the 1980s. Following Tefft's incarceration, his family-owned broadsheet publication, founded in 1842, was sold. Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline
|
.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.