prep schools

New Alumni Report Finds More Abuse at Horace Mann

Students arrive at the Horace Mann School on February 4, 2004 in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York. Photographer: Graham Morrison/ Bloomberg News.
Photo: Graham Morrison

A new report compiled by the alumni group Horace Mann Action Coalition alleges that instances of sexual abuse at the elite private school in the Bronx were even worse than previously thought. According to The Wall Street Journal, “the report identifies more than 60 former students who allegedly were abused from the 1960s through the 1990s by 22 school employees.” 

The new findings allege that there are more than double the victims than the 25 initially cited in a 2013 Bronx district attorney report. It also found ten more alleged perpetrators than the 12 that report named. Writes the Journal:

The report details allegations of abuse by both male and female staff members, including a headmaster, coaches, teachers, a school chaplain, a dean of guidance and department heads. The report includes at least two people who haven’t been named in connection with the abuse scandal.

The report also outlined several best practices for private schools dealing with sexual-abuse cases, including educating staff and students and establishing guidelines for both victims and administrators on how to report sexual abuse.

Though Horace Mann declined to participate in the investigation, it released the following statement in response to the findings: “While the school has significantly revised its practices and procedures regarding child abuse prevention and reporting to make them state-of-the-art, we will review the report to determine whether it contains any suggestions that would further strengthen child safety.”

New Report Finds More Abuse at Horace Mann