Bruce D. Abramsonre: Dissolution of Karaiskos
Dear Mr. Abramson,
I would like to report a very disturbing phone call I received from {Daughter} on Friday, September 3rd. {Daughter} had been in the custody of her mother for the entire week. She called me and when I asked her how she was doing she said "Not so good." She explained that Highland Hall had refused to re-enroll her and that it is due to my emails criticizing the school. Then she went on to describe the horrible conditions found in the new public school she is supposed to attend and how horrible it would be if she went to a public school - how she now wants to return to Highland Hall. She asked me to stop emailing as Highland Hall is taking it out on her. I explained to her that I have not been issuing any emails regarding Highland Hall. The fact is, I have not issued any emails since Mrs. Leonard left two weeks before Highland Hall first threatened to expel {Daughter} in June. {Daughter} went on to say that she knew that the court ordered me to stop emailing but that I am trying to start emailing again and that is why they won't re-enroll her in school.
I believe several disturbing things have occurred while {Daughter} was in the care of her mother:
1) Angela has fueled {Daughter}'s fears about attending public school, something {Daughter} embraced a few short months ago. Fear of public schools is something Waldorf schools regularly instill in parents and students. During the phone call, {Daughter}'s anxiety regarding pubic school was tremendous.
2) Angela has been, once again, reading directly to {Daughter} from the court orders and from the confidential proposed settlement agreement offer I made which was issued by Ms. Adler to Mr. Sobel (in which I stated that I felt the court should allow me the freedom to deal with the school as I have in the past). This would explain {Daughter}'s comment that she knew the court orders to me but that I am trying to start emailing again. I have documented cases of Angela reading from court orders to the children in the past and despite direction from the court, she continues to do this.
3) Angela has, again, tried to drive a wedge between me and {Daughter} AND between me and the school. Both Angela and the school have blamed {Daughter}'s expulsion on me and, in fact, this is not true. If I were the problem, my other two children's enrollment would be in jeopardy, but this is not the case and no indication has been made that {Son} or {Son} are affected by my participation at the school EXCEPT that {Daughter} has been told by her mother that if I continue emails, {Son} and {Son} may be expelled. {Daughter} has taken the additional stress upon herself to ensure that I no longer produce emails about Highland Hall in order to protect her brothers from expulsion.
4) It is very likely that {Daughter} has been expelled for reasons other than my email campaign exposing Mrs. Leonard. Most people I have talked to agree that it was {Daughter}'s own defiance of Mrs. Leonard and the school that have caused her to be expelled. I am also told that because of Angela's own inappropriate activities at the school, she has made enough enemies that she may have caused this decision or, at least has been unable to reverse this decision.
5) I believe Angela has shared the contents of the confidential proposed settlement agreement (mentioned above) with the school. This would explain the school's reluctance to accept as binding the stipulation that I would abide by the communications protocol.
After spending only a day with me, {Daughter} felt much better about attending public school - not through anything I said to her, but just by being away from Angela's influence. I believe Angela is doing anything she can, regardless of the emotional torment she is causing, to distance me from these children and from their school. She wants me out of her life and out of the children's lives - this is clear. She intentionally misrepresented to you my relationship with the school and my participation in the children's extracurricular activities in hopes that she would gain autonomy over their schooling. I feel the needless anxiety she has put {Daughter} through regarding pubic school is shameful and harmful. I feel that exposing {Daughter} to court documents or their contents is absolutely inappropriate.
Just to be clear, I have only just found out (from {Daughter}'s telephone call on September 3rd) that {Daughter} will not be allowed to attend Highland Hall. Up until this time Angela has indicated that {Daughter} will be attending Highland Hall and I have worked under this assumption. As this new development is now extremely stressful for her, and as you have indicated that she should attend Highland Hall if possible, I have worked behind the scenes and called in favors with a few influential people at Highland Hall to see if this decision can be reversed so that {Daughter} can have the option of attending. I have been informed tonight (Monday) that this can be accomplished and that the likelihood of her being accepted is very high.
Bruce, please know that I am absolutely devoted to the children's well-being. It is difficult for me to continually point out problems with Angela's parenting to the court, but I believe Angela is putting stress on {Daughter} with her actions and with her own fears of public schools. Your intervention on {Daughter}'s behalf is requested to ensure that Angela discontinues sharing legal and confidential information with {Daughter}.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Pete Karaiskos
