St. Paul's punishes 5 in 'crown' incident

By Mark Hayward
New Hampshire UniLeader
July 17, 2017

http://www.unionleader.com/education/St-Pauls-punishes-5-in-crown-incident-07172017

CONCORD — It wasn't a game of sexual conquest, St. Paul's School said Monday, but officials took disciplinary action against five boys for their role in the latest embarrassment at the prestigious preparatory school.

St. Paul's School said the five boys inscribed their names and a description of relationships they had with female students on an unspecified crown. In doing so, the school found they violated school rules against recording relationships.

In a letter dated Monday, school Rector Michael Hirschfeld insisted that "the Manville crown incident" did not amount to a game of sexual conquest, and that the boys did not identify the girls. He also said that a school-initiated, independent investigation found that no laws were broken.

However, a top New Hampshire law enforcement official said an investigation into St. Paul's School has just started.

"We haven't concluded any aspect of this investigation," Associate Attorney General Jane Young said Monday.

Hirschfeld said the five students were all residents of the Manville dormitory and members of the 9th, 10th and 11th grades. The school said the five received discipline that ranged from suspension to dismissal.

"Our rules are clear and students are held accountable to them," Hirschfeld said in a statement released by the school.

"This behavior contradicts our rules as well as our values. We are continually reinforcing our expectations for student behavior and employ a comprehensive curriculum to promote a healthy culture, including empowering students to stand up for the school's values," he said.

He commended the students who brought the matter to his attention.

The "Manville crown incident" is yet another embarrassment for the prep school, which weathered a 2015 rape trial involving one of its graduates, Owen Labrie, who was accused by a fellow student. The trial detailed a tradition of Senior Salute, in which seniors tried to have sex with underclassmen.

Then last week, New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald announced a criminal investigation into whether St. Paul's violated criminal laws that prohibit child endangerment and whether it obstructed justice in its handling of sexual misconduct allegations.

In his letter, Hirschfeld said he was "startled and saddened" to learn of the investigation, but said his school will cooperate.

Hirschfeld addressed his letter to parents, students, faculty and staff.

He wrote that in late May, seniors approached him and a faculty member to discuss their concerns.

The school's Community Conduct Board engaged a trained investigator. She determined that five students violated school rules against recording relationships.

All five had written their name on a crown that documents relationships with girls. The names of the girls were not on the crown.

"The investigator found that the boys were not competing nor soliciting sexual relationships in order to be listed on the crown," Hirschfeld wrote.

Hirschfeld also wrote that the yearbook had contained a photograph of Manville residents wearing crowns. School officials deemed the photograph inappropriate, and the yearbook company produced a new page. The new page was pasted over the original Manville dormitory picture.

The criminal investigation of St. Paul's involves the Attorney General, the Merrimack County Attorney, Concord police and New Hampshire State Police.

MacDonald has said the investigation has been initiated as the result of a 2017 report concerning years-old sexual assaults by St. Paul's teachers on their students; the Senior Salute ritual that was detailed in Labrie's trial; and the Manville crown incident.

In 2015, a Merrimack County jury cleared Labrie of rape charges but found him guilty of felony use of a computer, three sexual assault misdemeanors and endangering the welfare of a child.

Earlier this year, a judge ruled against his motion for a new trial based on ineffective counsel. He has appealed that ruling, and remains out on bail.