EXETER UNAFRAID

Dear Fellow Exonian,

In 1991, Exeter trustees and then-Principal Kendra O’Donnell commissioned “The Exeter Study: A Report on Student Life at Exeter.” In it, 50 students reported having sex against their will. Also, the study reported that “instances of inappropriate (faculty) conduct are often generally known, but not publicly acknowledged.” In 2016, new stories of abuse and mishandling surface in the press regularly. How can these problems persist for decades, across administrations and trustee turnover?

Is the Academy finally ready to face the truth about sexual misconduct on campus without fear? We are. We ask that victims and alumni alike join us in calling for a truly independent, transparent and effective inquiry that empowers victims, heals the community and restores confidence. The existing report is only for the trustees who decide what, if anything, is released.

Events over these past few months make it necessary to rethink and restart this process. Does Exeter need to suffer drastic drops in donations and student applications before this happens?

On April 16, Principal Lisa MacFarlane announced to the Phillips Exeter Academy community:

The national law firm of Holland & Knight has been retained as independent counsel to investigate on Exeter’s behalf any [sexual misconduct] allegations received since March 30. This new step will ensure that Exeter is fully and directly aware of the facts so we can take appropriate action.

Five months later, at least 29 cases have been processed by the Exeter police. Yet it appears that only a small minority have been interviewed by school investigators. Meanwhile, Andover has already completed its investigation and issued findings.

The St. George experience is more instructive. A trustee-controlled investigation like the one underway at Exeter failed, prompting alumni and victim uproar. They demanded a second, non-biased investigation. In response, the school embraced a novel approach. Trustees and victims jointly-retained a law firm. Empowerment of victims enabled a fearless inquiry; the second investigation’s findings this summer set a new standard for transparency. (The complete report is available here: https://sgsinvestigation.com/.)

Why should we settle for less?

Exeter must commission a truly independent investigation reaching into all aspects of misconduct — individual and institutional. There is neither wisdom nor value in pretending an inadequate investigation heals our community or achieves the goals outlined by Principal MacFarlane to make us “fully and directly aware of the facts so we can take appropriate action.” Yet there is great wisdom and value in leveraging what can be learned from St. George’s innovative approach — prioritizing victims and showing leadership.

We need a truly independent and comprehensive inquiry that empowers victims. We can build on the joint trustee/victim concept to create a model for truth, reconciliation, and restorative justice.

To this end, we also encourage victims of sexual misconduct at the Academy to observe a moratorium — remain ready to speak your truth, but refrain from participation in the current investigation. There is a better way. We stand by Principal MacFarlane’s goals and respectfully call for this action so that the trustees will authorize the full, fearless, open inquiry required to meet them.

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Thank you to the parties from the Do Better Exeter effort, the PEA ’90 Letter to Current Exeter Students effort, and the PEA ’14 Class Notes effort who offered signatures.

Faithfully submitted for your approval:

* Survivor of sexual misconduct at PEA
** Survivor of sexual misconduct away from PEA

* Anonymous
** Ted Folke ‘67
Nicholas Volkman ‘67
** Jeffrey Drummond ‘68
** W. Reed Moran ‘69
Michael Whitfield Jones ‘75
Charlotte Greenhalgh ‘76
Faye Hanson ‘76
Jake Horner ‘76
Supat Jumbala ‘76
* Ginna Marston ‘76
Martha Newman ‘76
Peter Stalker ‘76
Jan Testamata ‘76
Loring Rocke ‘77
Laura Stanton ‘77
* Vincent Taylor ‘77
Tom Cronin ‘78
Vladimir Klimenko ‘78
Larry Bouchie ‘79
Ramsey Haddad ‘79
Chip Hourihan ‘79
David Knopf ‘79
Carl Lindemann ‘79
** Léonie Glen ‘80
Jeffrey Pilchard ‘80
Jon Kiger ‘81
John Powell ‘81
Peter Wetherbee ‘81
** Sarah (Heussler) Mayper ‘82
M. Jonathan Garzillo ‘83
Lori Sue (Natt) Huguelet ‘83
Andrew Kim ‘83
Cornelia Sheridan ‘83
** Valerie Wagner ‘83
William Yount ‘83
Donna Braswell ‘84
Beth McAvoy ‘84
Matthew D. Snow ‘84
Charles E. Wechsler ‘84
Krisktin Breiseth ‘85
Sarah Kelley ‘85
Kevin MacLean ‘85
Patrick Cahn ‘88
Russell Washington ‘89
* Susannah Morrison Curtis ’90 (Admin, Alumni Survivor Group)
Katherine Reynolds Lewis ’90
** Amy Laura Cahn ‘91
Annette Yoshiko Reed ‘91
Eric Tung ‘91
Susannah McAndrew Chen ‘92
Alessandra Phillips ‘92
Alexander Lee ‘93
Nathan Seidenberg ‘93
Katherine Duff Smith ‘94
Gretchen Bowe ‘97
* Julia Callahan ‘97
Jason Goodenough ‘97
Marissa King ‘97
Alisson (Borowski) Kolodner ‘97
Michael Kolodner ‘97
Laura Laufer ‘97
Margie Wakelin ‘97
* Will Shepler ‘97
Julie Ensiki ‘98
** Kendra Summers ‘98
Alexander Brant-Zawadzki ‘99
Peter Gray ‘00
Juanita (Ramos) Davis ‘04
Devi Lockwood ‘10
Mauricio Huertas ‘12
Calla Zhou ‘12
Angelica Clayton ‘13
Nate Moulton ’14
** Ariadne Spahr ‘14
Ardit Kukaj ‘15
** Zoha Qamar ’15