Dalton School Should Do Outreach in Wake of Epstein Scandal
Given the pending prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, officials at the prestigious Manhattan school where he has been accused of inappropriate behavior should immediately start reaching out to find former students and staff that may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes by him. This is the best way that the school can help law enforcement keep Epstein away from other children and can potentially help alumni and drop-outs who might have been hurt and may still be suffering today in silence, shame and self-blame.
We believe this request is simple and straightforward. When institutions like schools and churches hire staff that turn out to be sexual abusers, they must take affirmative steps to help law enforcement prosecute those perpetrators. Schools have mailing lists, websites and other means to contact former staff and students,and now they should use their resources to seek out victims, witnesses and whistleblowers – for both prevention and healing.
The New York Times reported last week that Epstein was “willing to violate norms” in his interactions with Dalton students” and reportedly attended a party where students drank alcohol illegally. He claims he never had sexual contact with students but refused to answer if he did so after they had graduated. And Law professor and noted children’s advocate Marci Hamilton writes that “Epstein taught at the highly regarded Dalton School, where he left strong clues that there is something not quite right about the way he deals with girls.”
We hope Dalton’s board, administrators, alumni and staff will do all they can to find and help those once connected with the school who might have information that can be helpful to law enforcement or who may be in need of help and support themselves.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director