RHODE ISLAND
Providence Journal
By Jacqueline Tempera
Journal Staff Writer
Karen Lee Ziner
Journal Staff Writer Posted Jan. 1, 2016
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. — On a sprawling hilltop overlooking the Atlantic sits St. George’s School, an elite private Episcopal boarding school established more than a century ago. Known for its prestigious alumni and oceanic views, the preparatory school has been a coveted location for the country’s youth since 1896.
But recently revealed accusations of systematic sexual assault at the school during the 1970s and ’80s have cast a shadow on the bucolic campus’ glowing reputation.
St. George’s School has publicly apologized for sexual abuse by several former staff and students during that period. Administrators at the time fired three staff perpetrators, but never reported the matters to state authorities as Rhode Island law required.
Headmaster Eric Peterson and board chair Leslie Heaney wrote that apology in a Dec. 23 report to alumni that followed a nearly year-long investigation begun earlier in 2015. Among the factors: “the evolving landscape of best practices” by peer institutions that have faced similar issues.
“The School underscores its regret, sorrow and shame that students in our care were hurt,” Peterson and Heaney wrote in the 11-page report. “We commit ourselves to taking responsibility; to healing those wounds, and to making every effort to mend the fabric of the St. George’s community.”
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