St. George’s Cancels “healing” Session on Sex Abuse Scandal during Alumni Weekend

By Bella English
Boston Globe
April 23, 2016

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/04/22/george-cancels-healing-session-sex-abuse-scandal-during-alumni-weekend/Q97P78fv4gba5FBhah24PJ/story.html

After threats of boycotts and other protests from angry victims of sexual abuse, St. George’s School is altering its plans to hold a “Hope for Healing” session on its Rhode Island campus during an alumni reunion weekend next month.

On Wednesday, headmaster Eric Peterson wrote to alumni about a gathering to “address this deeply troubling and painful chapter in our school’s history.” The session was to be held in the chapel of the Episcopal prep school, during Alumni Weekend, scheduled for May 6-8.

But late Friday afternoon, board chairwoman Leslie Heaney sent out a second letter to alumni, stating that the initial letter about the proposed “Hope for Healing” session had “upset many survivors.”

“With the investigation into sexual abuse at St. George’s still ongoing, survivors and Day One have expressed their feelings that it is premature to talk about healing,” Heaney wrote.