It is an issue that has arisen on campuses in Litchfield County in the past, and then, like now, reactions of shock and horror come hand-in-hand with the message that the schools do everything possible to keep students safe.
At The Gunnery, a private preparatory boarding school in Washington, reports surfaced last week that former dean of students Robert Reinhardt turned himself into State Police after arrest warrants were issued on a total of five counts of sexual assault and sexual conduct with students.
A Waterbury man has been arrested on charges of in­­­appropriate contact with a female student last May at Westover School in Middlebury. The man, Richard DeJesus, was not a faculty member but working on a construction project with an outside firm.
As it stands, these are still only allegations. But whatever the truth is, they illustrate the fact that such incidents can happen anywhere, even at prestigious private institutions.
That reality, coupled with schools in the region making headlines in this type of context, raises the question of what policies and safeguards are in place to best ensure that students are protected from predatory behavior.
A survey of several private schools in northwest Connecticut indicated that each institution has a set of protocols and procedures to prevent, or sometimes handle, these situations. The rules are similar for each establishment, and they all seem to be overseen by the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS).
Dr. Doug Lyons, the executive director for CAIS, said that all schools under the umbrella of his agency are accredited, and as such have to meet certain academic and safety standards.
"We want to know that the schools are doing criminal history checks on the employees, and we want to know that there are policies and procedures enacted on professional boundaries," said Dr. Lyons, who offers training courses on these matters. "And The Gunnery has a good reputation on institutional responsibility. I know the school has everything a responsible boarding school should have in place to prevent this."
Susan Graham, the head of The Gunnery, stresses that her institution takes all the appropriate precautions. For example, she said, The Gunnery will "thoroughly vet any candidate and will do a full background check."
Additionally, the school has its policies reviewed by counsel, and, if necessary, revised to best fit the needs of the school. She wouldn't comment on any particulars of the pending case. [See the story below.]
"From what I know of the man, he had a terrific career as a coach," said Dr. Lyons.
That raises another con­sid­eration. Often, the best edu­cators are those who take an interest in the lives of their students. How does one distinguish between someone who has nothing in mind but the best for the pupils, and one who has a more sinister agenda?
Dr. Lyons said that appropriate training teaches educators when and where to draw the line. Additionally, it shows them how to be aware of other faculty members' behavior.
"At these schools, kids and teachers develop close bonds. Sometimes a student might come in after [summer break] and hug their teacher, but if that happens, the door should be open," said Dr. Lyons. "Be aware of where you are. Is it OK for a student to sit on a teacher's lap? No. We train our faculty to be aware of boundaries, because you don't even want to have the appearance of poor judgment."
Ann Pollina, the head of Westover School, the all-girls institution that was in the news this week for the case of alleged sexual misconduct, agreed with Dr. Lyons' sentiments.
"At boarding schools, the faculty and students are close, but you have to have limits," said Ms. Pollina. "With personal behavior, we want the faculty to be aware."
When handling these situations, private schools may have an advantage over public ones. Essentially, tenure is non-existent, employees work on temporary contracts and there are no unions. Given those circumstances, it's much easier for these establishments to rid themselves of problem teachers than it would be for a public system, where teachers unions notoriously wield undue power and leverage to protect their members.
"If faculty members ever felt uncomfortable with another's behavior, they would come right to me," said Ms. Graham at The Gunnery. "This is not a government school. The faculty is on one-year contracts, so they understand the importance of performance."
Tom Farmen, the head of Rumsey Hall School in Washington Depot, echoed Ms. Graham, saying that "staff reports to me anything that makes them uncomfortable."
And that could include a faculty member's suspicions about a colleague's inappropriate, perhaps illegal, relationship with the students.
There is another measure that the schools take in lockstep. When a student makes an accusation, it is immediately treated with the utmost seriousness. Parents are contacted, and depending on the age of the student, so is the state Department of Children and Families.
"We have to protect the student right away," said Helen Waldron, the assistant head of internal affairs for The Forman School in Litchfield. "If need be, we remove the student from campus."
Then, the faculty member's future is dependent on the results of a full investigation.
Mr. Reinhardt, who was arrested in The Gunnery case, could face up to 60 years in prison if convicted.
Dr. Lyons said that these rules are the best way schools know how to combat predatory behavior. And at all times, student safety is in mind.
"This isn't the archdiocese of Boston where people just look the other way," noted Dr. Lyons. "There's a deeply held sense of responsibility for the kids on these campuses."