On Wednesday, six\u00a0brave staff members at\u00a0the Saint John’s Preparatory School took a stand. The\u00a0six:<\/p>\n
Jennifer Whitehead –\u00a0Guidance\/Counseling
\nSally Battig –\u00a0Executive Administrative Assistant to the Headmaster
\nJeffrey R Engholm – Music Teacher
\nSandra L. Ernst –\u00a0Student Accounts and Records
\nMary Jo Leighton –\u00a0Associate Director of Admissions\/United States
\nJeremy Meyer –\u00a0Associate Director of Admissions\/International Recruitment<\/p>\n
Did they speak out against the ridiculous\u00a0press release<\/a> sent out last week? No<\/p>\n Did they take a stand\u00a0against the history of sexual abuse<\/a> at the Prep School? No<\/p>\n Are they supporting the family of the\u00a0victim who\u00a0committed suicide<\/a>\u00a0last year? No<\/p>\n Did they\u00a0speak out in support of the dozens and dozens\u00a0of other victims? No<\/p>\n Did they\u00a0demand\u00a0the results of the Father Ward\u00a0&\u00a0Taylor<\/a> investigations? No<\/p>\n The results of the (former headmaster) Father “Timo” Backous<\/a>\u00a0investigation? No<\/p>\n Did they demand that Father Tom Andert<\/a> be removed as prior? No<\/p>\n Did they question why\u00a0Father Licari<\/a> is still headmaster? No<\/p>\n In a series of emails (below), these six staff members asked that their names be removed from this web site.<\/p>\n Their names were listed in an article that was posted on this web site last week\u00a0[ View<\/a> ] regarding a press release touting the school’s high-ranking teachers. The press release claimed the teachers were ranked as part of a “comprehensive assessment.” That was not the case.<\/p>\n Included in the post was a comment that the\u00a0teachers at Saint John’s Preparatory School were “undoubtedly committed, engaged and interested in the well being of their students.”<\/p>\n Despite the positive comments, one teacher\u00a0wrote:<\/p>\n “I am writing to request that you remove my name from your website found under the page entitled, “Questionable Data Used as Basis for Prep School Press Release.\u201d Given that your website is focused on allegations of sexual abuse of minors, I do not wish to be associated with this website.”<\/p>\n Four of the six emails included a variation of this message, all of which included\u00a0these words:<\/p>\n I do not wish to be associated…\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n I do not blame these six staff members from wanting\u00a0to distance themselves from\u00a0the topic of sexual abuse. However, the job they accepted came with that association.<\/p>\n These six staff members are<\/span> associated with – and connected to – an institution that has a long history of not only the\u00a0sexual abuse of minors (as their emails suggest) but of\u00a0sexual misconduct\u00a0with vulnerable adults, mistreatment of women, along with\u00a0multiple, substantiated allegations of staff members changing grades for favors, student suicide attempts, and teachers providing alcohol to minors.<\/p>\n These six staff members are<\/span> associated with – and connected to – an institution whose leadership\u00a0has failed to release the names of all known offenders and continues to put money, public perception and enrollment above disclosure, transparency and healing.<\/p>\n Do these six staff members believe the\u00a0abuse, misconduct and harassment ended “decades ago” as the leadership would have them\u00a0believe? Is the administration focused on healing?<\/p>\n In 2006, the community’s leader, Abbot John Klassen, wrote of one of his monks:<\/p>\n “If the harassment charge against Bruce Wollmering becomes public, it will be perfect fuel for this faculty member to work full force against Bruce and ultimately against the monastic community. It will be difficult for me to lead in this environment.”<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0– February 17, 2006 Memo from John Klassen<\/p>\n Pressed to make the names of three monks public in 2006, the Abbot refused:<\/p>\n “The Abbot reported that there were many hurdles regarding this issue, including a capital campaign, recruitment issues and access to the database.”<\/em>\u00a0– April 21, 2006<\/p>\n Money… The results of publicly announced\u00a0investigations into allegations of abuse and\/or misconduct by three\u00a0Saint John’s Abbey monks Fathers Dan Ward, Mel Taylor and Timothy Backous have yet to be made public. All three of these men were Prep School Employees.<\/p>\n Do these three credibly accused priests\u00a0have access to minors and vulnerable adults?<\/p>\n Do\u00a0these six staff members care?<\/p>\n Disclosure, transparency and healing cannot even begin with this type of secrecy.<\/p>\n These six staff members should take their stand with the institution, not this web site.<\/p>\n I welcome another email from six staff members which calls for us to work together to end the decades of secrecy, work with victims and restore what’s left of a tarnished Prep School legacy.<\/p>\n Patrick J Marker Their written requests:<\/p>\n “I am a member of the staff at Saint John\u2019s Prep School. It has come to my attention that you have listed my name on your website,\u00a0behindthepinecurtain.com. I am writing to request that you remove my name from your website found under the page entitled, \u201cQuestionable Data Used as Basis for Prep School Press Release.\u201d Given that your website is focused on allegations of sexual abuse of minors, I do not wish to be associated with this website. Please remove my name.” \u00a0 – Sally Battig<\/strong><\/p>\n “I am a member of the faculty at Saint John\u2019s Prep School. \u00a0It has come to my attention that you have listed my name on your website,\u00a0behindthepinecurtain.com. \u00a0I am writing to request that you remove my name from your website\u00a0found under the\u00a0page entitled,\u00a0\u201cQuestionable Data Used as Basis for Prep School Press Release.\u201d\u00a0Given that your website is focused on allegations of sexual abuse of minors, as an educator, I do not wish to be associated with this website, or any of your activities, publications, or press releases. \u00a0Please remove my name immediately.” –\u00a0Jeffrey R Engholm<\/strong><\/p>\n “I am a member of the faculty at Saint John\u2019s Prep School.\u00a0It has come to my attention that you have listed my name on your website,\u00a0behindthepinecurtain.com.\u00a0I am writing to request that you remove my name from your website found under the page entitled, \u201cQuestionable Data Used as Basis for Prep School Press Release.\u201d Given that your website is focused on allegations of sexual abuse of minors, as an educator, I do not wish to be associated with this website.\u00a0Please remove my name.” \u00a0 – Jennifer Whitehead<\/strong><\/p>\n “Please remove my name from your website. Behindthepinecurtain” \u00a0–\u00a0Mary Jo Leighton<\/strong><\/p>\n “I am a member of the staff at Saint John\u2019s Prep School.\u00a0 It has come to my attention that you have listed my name on your website,\u00a0behindthepinecurtain.com.\u00a0 I am writing to request that you remove my name from your website found under the page entitled, \u201cQuestionable Data Used as Basis for Prep School Press Release.\u201d Given that your website is focused on allegations of sexual abuse of minors, as an staff person, I do not wish to be associated with this website.\u00a0 Please remove my name immediately.” –\u00a0Sandra L. Ernst<\/strong><\/p>\n “It was brought to my attention that my name and title are listed on your website,\u00a0www.behindthepinecurtain.com. \u00a0I am asking that my name be removed from your website.” –\u00a0Jeremy Meyer<\/strong><\/p>\n Posted: 10:11am on August 6, 2015 On Wednesday, six\u00a0brave staff members at\u00a0the Saint John’s Preparatory School took a stand. The\u00a0six: Jennifer Whitehead –\u00a0Guidance\/Counseling Sally Battig –\u00a0Executive Administrative Assistant to the Headmaster Jeffrey R Engholm – Music Teacher Sandra L. Ernst –\u00a0Student Accounts and Records Mary Jo … Continue reading
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\nPublic Perception…<\/p>\n
\nWebmaster\/Advocate<\/p>\n
\nEdited: 15:16pm on August 6, 2015<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"