When Will We Ever Learn?: St. Pauls School and Beyond

Much has been written of late about the scandals and sexual abuse at elite private day and boarding schools. Reports have been issued, victims compensated and institutions have claimed that they have recognized the bad past and the importance of a good present. Steps have been taken to own the past and create a better future. So far so good.

New possible wrongs at St. Pauls School in New Hampshire have been raised. Before turning to those, let's comment on the past. At St. Pauls School, they suffered with not only past bad acts but the trial and conviction of one of its recent graduates: Owen Labrie. It is a topic on which I have written because it seemed near to impossible for me to believe there was institutional ignorance. Indeed, there was a culture that involved a Senior Salute with markings on a wall that were repainted annually. Please.

Here is an earlier piece I wrote --- even suggesting cultural change and more importantly, what was needed to make it happen. Note the date: 2015. Note the suggestions (concrete). Note the importance of actions not just words. https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/st-pauls-school-debacle-how-can-we-change-campus-culture-karen-gross

Now, the recent revelations of notches on a fast-food chain crown (I picture the Burger King Crown personally) show that not much has changed, has it? How is it possible that Senior Salute is replaced with marking a crown? Hardly an improvement; if anything, the crown is a crowning blow -- one is wearing one's sexual pride on one's head.

I appreciate that things are presently in the investigative stage with respect to current allegations of sexual misconduct. Innocent until proven guilty, yes. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/us/prep-school-abuse-investigation-stpauls.html; https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/07/13/authorities-launch-criminal-investigation-into-paul-school/lQlsVVDDOs2VBx1p9rB99N/story.html.

But, it was only several months ago that a report was issued detailing past misconduct. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/22/us/st-pauls-school-acknowledges-decades-of-sexual-misconduct.html. May, 2017!

Here is what is obvious to me. Even a devastating report -- replete with past acts --- and a recent conviction were and are not enough to change the culture at St. Pauls School. That says to me that this is like an infection where the current antibiotics are not working and there is immunity that has developed. Drug resistance at work. Standard protocols for addressing issues are incapable of dealing with the issues and the needed changes.

When that happens in medicine, we go to extreme solutions; we try new things in a desperate effort to save a patient and shut down a recalcitrant infection. And there is a need to act fast. That approach seems like it needs to be applied to the St. Pauls School. Time for radical activist approaches.

How about these: Immediate dismissal of key personnel running the school, radical changes to how Seniors live on campus, changes to the Board?

Slow change is not possible now. Things are too desperate. Traditions need to be totally rethought. Alums (male and female) need to help craft solutions --- especially those who were affected. And, enough with the speakers and consultants and panels. That is the standard fare. Enough with commonplace approaches. What is needed now is deeper and stronger than that --- radical intervention and change -- and ceremonies for what is being lost.

Ponder a compliation of all traditions at St. Pauls and a reflect on which of them have continuing merit. Then burn -- literally -- the offensive ones. Like the Senior Salute and the new Crowning glory. Create opportunities literally to eliminate the traditions that are sexist and racist and cultural deficient. Then, create new traditions. And, in the meanwhile, try protest art as a collective project. Try massive writing efforts and public service announcements. Try novel, out-of-the-box approaches to kick the infection (so to speak). Problem solve as a collective. Build a tribute to decency.

And ask again and again and again: When will we ever learn? That song still have meaning today.