Lynn Kern - Highland Hall Waldorf School has a not-so-new administrator

http://www.highlandhall.org/Our%20Leadership

"Lynn served Highland Hall for a decade as the school's first administrative
director, during which time the school's enrollment grew markedly and its
financial strength was significantly improved."

During Lynn's previous term as Highland Hall's administrative director, children
were molested and cover-ups ensued at her direction. This document describes
the steps Lynn Kern did NOT take, and why she WASN'T prevented from taking them.

http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html
Highland Hall - Breaking Mandated Reporting Laws

Lynn's first response was to cover up the first molestation by the teenage son
of Wendy Wilkins, a Waldorf teacher employed at Highland Hall. Her reasoning
was that the child wasn't enrolled at Highland Hall. The pedophile was allowed
to play on the grounds with many children. His activities are describe in this
eloquent letter by a parent:

http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2010/10/letter-from-angry-parent-1.html

Meanwhile, concurrent to the first incident, a COMPLETELY SEPARATE groping
incident involving an assistant teacher and high school girls was underway.
Again, the incidents were covered up - children were even bullied by teachers
modify their testimonies. The detail of those incidents are related here:
http://waldorfcritics.org/articles/DisillusionedParent.html

Lynn Kern was forced to resign after failing to comply with mandated reporting
laws. Now, she's back... running Highland Hall! And remember, for the first
time, Highland Hall is offering a SUMMER CAMP - and hiring transient
"counselors" to work there - a week at a time!

Parents should be warned about Lynn Kern and her administrative style. Secrecy
and cover-up is the name of the game - that and intimidation of students to keep
them quiet. All one has to do to confirm this is to look at Highland Hall's
track record... and Lynn Kern's.

Highland Hall calls the cops on Pete!

I was contacted yesterday by a detective regarding one of my more sinister
comments regarding Highland Hall. Now that they realize my lawsuit is REAL, I'm
guessing they want to get as much on me as possible "on the record".

Highland Hall, I suggest you copy my entire blog. I'll be adding more to it
soon as I'm scanning documents for the lawsuit. My case against Highland Hall
is out there for everyone to see... (even the police).

The phone call went fine, BTW... please don't worry about me anyone... I get the
feeling the cops sympathize with me. One of the detectives who, after fighting
me initially saw how devoted I am as a father, told me "don't you EVER stop!" -
I've never forgotten this... as it gave me the confidence to face the judge in
court and get the bullshit restraining orders (not to mention minor's counsel)
removed. Since then I've made nothing but steady progress toward restoring my
daughters health and well-being. (Thank you Peggy)

As for Highland Hall... they should know I think the demise of their school is a
foregone conclusion at this point. They can barely fill their classrooms now...
the lawsuit will be their death knell. I'm focusing on the REST of Waldorf now,
in case they haven't noticed... and I'm going after the charter school system
AND AWSNA. One could say, I've got bigger fish to fry...

Pasadena Waldorf School Reviews by Parents

Pasadena is another problematic private Waldorf school which is the recipient of
problematic teachers from Highland Hall.

http://www.greatschools.org/school/parentReviews.page?id=9839&state=CA#from..Hea\
derLink

Posted April 30, 2009
Pasadena Waldorf School has a fairy tale approach to life and does not prepare
children for the real world. The school's administration has no oversight and
teachers are free to instruct and discipline children any way they see fit. My
children had to be tutored after leaving Waldorf just to catch up with
mainstream society. The campus is beautiful and the ideals are romantic. The
story telling and performances are fun but do not begin to educate children in
today's complex world. There are some valuable lessons being taught, but negated
by the fact that a child cannot write correctly or spell. There is no test
taking and no monitoring of the educational process. Waldorf creates it's own
rules and changes them on a whim. I would not recommend this school to anyone
who takes their child's education seriously.
—Submitted by a parent

Posted November 16, 2007
The intentions are good, but it falls far short of it's goals.
—Submitted by a parent

Posted April 25, 2007
I am not sure the Waldorf model works in today's multicultural environment.
Having the same teacher from K-8 sounds romantic but it is rare to find an
individual with a skill set that can meet a child's needs over 9 years of
education. Parental involvement is very high and the atmosphere is nurturing. I
would not recommend a Waldorf Education unless you are prepared to supplement
your child's education w/ tutors and other outlets for both academic and
sporting activities. —Submitted by a parent

Posted February 1, 2007
After having my daughter at this school for 5 years, I pulled her out. They have
lost most of their good teachers and there is no oversight on poor performing
teachers. We most definitely would not recommend it for a quality educaton.
—Submitted by a parent

Monterey Bay Charter School Reviews by Parents and MUCH more

Let's start this examination with the teacher who sexually abused two
PRE-TEENAGED students! HOLD ON... He TRANSFERRED from another Waldorf Charter -
Woodland Star Charter!!!

http://news.sonomaportal.com/2010/02/11/former-valley-teacher-arrested-on-molest\
ation-charges/

"A former teacher in Sonoma Valley was jailed Thursday on three counts of child
molestation. Patrick Lilley, 52, was arrested after an investigation revealed he
had sexually abused two pre-teenaged students approximately two years ago.

Lilley was booked into Monterey County Jail with a bail of $300,000 and is
awaiting extradition to Sonoma County, reported Sergeant Cecile Focha. According
to staff at Monterey Bay Charter School in Pacific Grove, Lilley was employed
there as a first-grade teacher at the time of his arrest; this was his first
year at that school.

Lilley had started at Woodland Star School in Sonoma Valley in September of
2004, teaching first grade. He moved along with that class through the fourth
grade until June of 2008, when, according the May 2008 school newsletter, he
left the area "to live closer to his sister."

PK: SO, the pedophile was simply transferred from one charter Waldorf school to
another... GEE, this sounds familiar.


OK, on to the reviews:

Posted March 19, 2011
Unfortunate when a schools leadership has no idea how to truly administer, or to
lead. This school has great potential but its administration is stuck and
running the school right into the ground. The teachers are wonderful for the
most part. The hands on education and waldorf inspiration inspires the children
to enjoy their lessons. The future of this school depends on removal of the
buddy-system thriving in the administration office.
—Submitted by a parent

Posted August 28, 2010
Report it

At MBCS the teachers are very dedicated, the administration is mediocre. Because
the school budget is a shoestring, it can be difficult to meet the extremely
high expectations of parent involvement if you live out of the area, a single
parent, work, and can not be as constantly on site as the locals. In my
daughter's class last year there was plenty of drama from over involved parents
who are cliquish, prone to squabbles, and power struggles, that were expressed
in seemingly constant seething emails (to everyone) that became very tiresome.
The teacher finally cried "STOP"! in a very nice Waldorf way. My son's class was
at times led by the parents while the teacher seemed to step back. I want the
teachers to lead not the parents. With MBCS expectations of extreme parent
involvement, it becomes it's own negative, EXTREME PARENT INVOLVEMENT! I
participate as I can then go home.
—Submitted by a parent

Posted August 27, 2010
I find myself concerned about some of the parents who are strongly Waldorf-ites
who I also see tending to be extremely protective and limiting of their
children's experiences whether it be by any media influences or even other
children who are media savvy- as if it would seriously damage or steal their
innocence. I'm not advocating throwing the kids out to the wolves, however I
fear that parent overprotective behaviors in this day and age can come back and
bite the parent years later when their older children finally have a taste of
freedom. I've seen it happen. I really like the Waldorf ideas, and I think it is
also important to stay current, real, and allow kids to experience and learn to
"deal" with some things that may be tough, after all, that's real life learning!
—Submitted by a parent

Posted July 12, 2010
This school seemed ok at first and the Waldorf method sounded interesting but it
was disappointing. The students remain with the same teacher from kindergarden
through eight grade and that is problamatic. If your child starts at a later
grade they will be the "outsider" in the children's already established
"clicks". Some of the students have parents who work at the school and these
children will get special treatment because of this, even to the point of the
school's "Chair" ( that is what they call the principal) not taking any
disciplinary action in order to protect them and keep up the school's
reputation. The principal " talks the talk" but lacks leadership skills and
doesn't follow school's policies. Bullying is an issue as well. I also found
this is not actual Waldorf but rather Waldorf inspired. The American Waldorf
Association does not endorse this school. Don't send your kids there! —Submitted
by a parent

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1696120/pg1

I don't know what to do please help with suggestions
My daughters teacher was accused of molesting 4 girls and slaming the head of
one boy on his desk. They went to trial and the girls didn't want to testify so
he got those charges dropped , but the boy did testify and the teacher got 1
count of endangering a child. Trial closed, he's still walking around. This was
a year ago but the abuse happened when they where much younger so it wasn't high
priorty case. My daughter in August just told me that he had rubbed her more
than 5 times where one shouldn't. So it would be a new trial. I have called
everyday latley and they just transfer me to voicemails and noone calls me back.
They advisied me not to get consoling or talk to her about it anymore because it
could mess up the case. So I haven't. I call daily, no oone will take my
calls(always voice mail) and charges have not been filed. She told Kaiser too.
What do I do to get the ball rolling? Newspapers or what kind of lawyer? They
just put me through to answering machine after answering machine and no one
calls me back. How do I get justice for my child?


UPDATE:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20101119/articles/101119389?tc=ar

"Under the terms of the plea bargain, reached Sept. 30, Lilley can't work with
children and he can't live near schools, parks, pools or day-care centers. He
was formally sentenced by Judge Ken Gnoss on Oct. 29."


OK, that's ONE down...

Highland Hall Waldorf School - Reviews by Parents and Students

Parent and Student Reviews of Highland Hall from around the web:

http://phoenix.arizonahighways.com/biz/highland-hall-inc/northridge/ca/91325/10898931
Anush - Wednesday, October 14, 2009
nice campus everthing else lacking ‎
After spending 4+ years there ,I will say this ,first the teachers for the most part lack any formal education ,and yes that means little or no college ,second I saw more drugs and alcohol there than any public school kids sniffing ''dust off'', coming to school high on LSD, stoned students AND often teachers ,drinking off campus at lunch ,etc etc ,subject matter substandard [computers are banned by Waldorf] also don't let them fool you with their college acceptance claims ,yes the students will get accepted but in most cases the drop out after 1 to 2 years ,out of the hundred plus people who graduated over my time there most (I say this with total certainty ) did nothing and often have a list of drug and alcohol related mishaps on their record, DUIs etc ,it is my opinion that it would be best to send you children elsewhere,the damage that can be inflicted can take years to fix ,its a very unhealthy place, outside it seems great, but just ask them about kids who ...


http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/highland-hall-waldorf-school-17100-superior-street-northridge-ca-91325-us
Cam E - 09/06/2009
Hello all! I am currently a senior at HH. I have attended HH my entire life and all I can say is that I feel blessed and fortunate to have been given the opportunity to learn in the environment this school provides. I have developed a love and inspiration for the world around me and its endless mysteries that, all "corruption" set aside, is as real and true to me as anything can be. You can't fake a curriculum like ours, or the relationship we have with our teachers. I have seen my share of drama in the community and one thing I have observed every time is that it is almost always instigated by a parent who takes it upon themselves to make everybody feel the repercussions of their less-than-desirable experiences at the school. If anybody reading this forum is considering a Waldorf education for their children, know that I am and accomplished student, artist, and musician, as well as a "lifer" at HH, and I couldn't name anything in my life that I have ever appreciated my parents for more than finding this school and sending me here. Please just come for a tour or our school and talk to some of the "lifers." You will realize that people who have gone to HH are talented, upright, high quality individuals.

PETE NOTES: Cam, unfortunately, didn't graduate Highland Hall - despite being a "lifer".  Only weeks before graduating, Highland Hall, in their typical, unthoughtful manner, expelled Cam.  I'm told Cam is doing well in college.

http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/highland-hall-waldorf-school-17100-superior-street-northridge-ca-91325-us
Tucker H
Our 3 children attended over 12 years and despite the beauty of the campus - the school has no transparent system for problem solving serious issues. Teachers seem defensive and intolerant of parents asking questions. The teachers police each other and there is no advocate for the parents or students who might have a legitimate concern about a teacher's conduct. Students can be expelled, without any warning, if the teacher does not like their parent, even if the student has never done anything wrong. This is not written down anywhere, but it has happened several times in the last few years. Each time a perfectly cooperative child is expelled or not allowed to re-enroll because the teacher didn't like the child's parents, it sends a frightening message to the entire community to not question the teacher's authority or your child will be punished.

http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/highland-hall-waldorf-school-17100-superior-street-northridge-ca-91325-us
A. Scemema
Parents are not allowed to question the teacher's decisions in the elementary grades. Discipline is inconsistent - often the teachers seem excessively punitive. This education appeals to students/families who prefer an anti-intellectual curriculum, with a spiritual agenda inspired by Rudolph Steiner. There is no geniune open forum to express concern about classroom issues, bullying, etc., or to question the unusual methods used to teach.

Margaret Sachs
http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/highland-hall-waldorf-school-17100-superior-street-northridge-ca-91325-us
Our two children attended for a total of about 13 years between them. I was one of those enthusiastic mothers who for many years couldn't say enough good things about the school. Gradually, however, my husband and I began to form the opinion that while the curriculum appeared on paper to be impressive, in practice it neither matched the hype we were hearing nor met the expectations we had for our children's education. Nonetheless, because I still thought the social environment of the school was healthy, I continued to vigorously defend it against criticism by families that left dissatisfied or in anger. That stopped when scandals occurred that, for us, crossed a line. I then began researching Waldorf and Anthroposophy and was stunned to find myself going through a deprogramming process. It finally dawned on me that I had become brainwashed by what I consider to be a slick PR program. I strongly recommend that anyone considering a Waldorf school research the many American and international English language Web sites critical of Waldorf. The documentation at some of those sites is truly enlightening. I recommend you don't accept at face value arguments that Steiner quotations are being taken out of context. Instead, ask how the context affects the meaning of the quotations. I also suggest that if someone tells you that Steiner quotes provided by critics have been mistranslated you have an independent, non-Waldorf German speaker translate some of them for you and compare your translations to those by both Waldorf supporters and critics.

Google
Anush ‎ - Jan 25, 2011
This place is a joke 4 years like bob says unless you start in 1st grade forget it,you will always be an outsider,a bunch of spoiled rich kids who also infuse the place with drugs ,you may be better of at another school ,save your money .

Paolo ‎ - Oct 23, 2010
Bob Went here for 3 years of my life. Unless you're in the Waldorf system from 1st grade up you will not integrate well into their education system. A bogus education belief based on creating your own books, if you're child isn't an artist, or is coming in from public school. Forget it, spend your 14000 somewhere else


http://www.scorecard.greatschools.net/school/parentReviews.page?id=8952&state=CA&sortBy=dd&page=2#revPagination
Posted September 16, 2010
Waldorf education can be an amazing thing, but Highland Hall is a very poor example of a Waldorf school. There are very real reasons this school is under-enrolled, has no waiting lists, and often turns over 20% of its children a year. There is no functioning leadership. Teacher quality is uneven. Most crucially, Highland Hall lacks integrity, their mission statement a hollow promise gutted by fear and money. Look elsewhere. —Submitted by a parent

My 3 children did not feel they learned any basic curriculum. Knitting, art and woodworking are great, but math, science, english, history are weak. Many of their high school students don't get into college. We left because our children were bored. —Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended HH for a year and enjoyed what they had to offer at the preschool age. However, she would come home and need to run and jump all over the place. Some kids just need to run. I like the Waldorf philosophy but I also feel times are changing and in order to keep a realistic perspective on our world, the media is a huge part of it. And being a psych major, I have learned that children feel safe when they can understand parts of their environment. Not keeping them in a bubble right smack in the middle of a thriving city. Plus parents have an imperialistic attitude at HH. The love and respect for nature and life should be given to all, not just those who can afford it. —Submitted by a parent

My son was there for a year and didn't learn a thing. We changed schools the following year to an more challenging academic setting. He had a lot of remedial work that he had to do the following year just to catch up to his peers. The teachers at Highland Hall are very nurturing and loving, however, the kids need more mental stimulation. I don't agree with their philosophy (actually Rudolf Steiner's) of delaying academics till the late elementary/jr. high years. My feeling is that either you're a Waldorf person or you're not, there's no middle ground. It turned out that my son had dyslexia, which had gone undetected as his class was not performing at grade level in reading or writing. He did benefit however, from having such a caring, wonderful teacher. The campus has an expansive park-like feel to it and is beautiful. —Submitted by a parent

My child loved her kindergarten teachers but by 2nd grade became frustrated with the repetition of form drawing and the weirdness of the eurythmy class. She is now in a charter school that is equally relaxed (no grades, no tests, no homework) but is more academically stimulating and inspiring. At Waldorf, every child works at the same pace, which is usually dictated by the children who struggle the most. —Submitted by a parent

If your child has any learning difficulties, this school is ideal for allowing them to work without enormous pressure. If your child is academically gifted, this school will not be a good fit. There is a strong anti-intellectualism from First thru 12th grade. —Submitted by Anna J., a parent

Adjusting to a traditional school revealed that my child was performing in every area below grade level. It took her a year to catch up, and we regret having not pulled her out before First grade. Although the campus appears serene and attractive, the lack of transparency in the curriculum is a serious problem.
—Submitted by Dorothy, a parent

Excellent kindergarten with our particular teacher; however, we had the very opposite experience in middle school; and we were so unimpressed by the time our child reached 8th grade that our child begged us to allow her to switch to a more traditional high school. —Submitted by Judy, a parent

Three children attended; the oldest had a great experience from k-8; our second child had a series of terrible teachers. The youngest child had a great kindergarten experience. The school has no ability to constructively address parents concerns —Submitted by a parent

In spite of the beautifuyl appearance, it feels like a cult. There are no academics standards. —Submitted by a former student

As the name states, this is a Waldorf school, which is a very definite thing. For some, it is perfect, for some not such a good fit. That is the first thing a prospective parent needs to research. One distinctive aspect of Waldorf schools is there is not a 'principal'. In the event of a problem, this can be an issue. We often felt we had no one to turn to for action on our concerns. Academically, we found Highland Hall on a very different page than other private schools in the area. Our children left with way above average vocabularies, and below level skills in concrete areas such as spelling and basic math facts. —Submitted by a parent

It was early one morning in the month of May

Friends,

Many 5th grade parents have, by now, received an ominous phone call from someone on the Crisis committee letting us know that Mrs. Leonard will not be in on Thursday and Friday.  Some of us got no explanation, others got the explanation that Mrs. Leonard is perhaps exhausted or tired and needed a rest.  For some of us, the fact that the Crisis committee was making the call was a sign that something was amiss.  Indeed, something was.

As this mailing is going out to some people who didn't receive my mailing last night, I will reprint the song Mrs. Leonard's handed out to the children in her class at the end of this letter.  At least one parent contacted Mrs. Leonard and asked her to please collect this song from the children as it seemed inappropriate.  In last night's email, I distributed the song to other parents of the class so that they might be aware of the material that was given to their children and make their own decision about its appropriateness.  I also directed the letter to Ed Eadon, some faculty members, college members and board members.

It turns out that today, Mrs. Leonard chose to SING the song to the children in her class.  I can't imagine what would compel her to do this - defiance, perhaps, or another case of poor judgement on her part, but in any case, clearly she had yet another opportunity to pause before exposing our children to this material and chose not to, this time after having received objections from some of the parents.  I believe she willfully and arrogantly exposed our children to this material. 

I try to have an open mind about most things but I find the contents and tone of the song below disturbing especially in light of the recent issues involving Mrs. Leonard's reading of other inappropriate material to the children of her class.  While these types of songs were, perhaps, acceptable in the 19th century, they certainly don't have a place in schools of today.  This particular song introduces themes of male dominance over women through violence and murder and the mutilation and dismemberment of a woman's body.  I find it distressing that these are similar themes to the ones contained in the material for which Mrs. Leonard was supposedly reprimanded recently.

Highland Hall has had ample and repeated opportunities to take action regarding this issue.  Instead they continue to characterize Mrs. Leonard's regular behavior as "atypical".  The only thing that would be "atypical" in this case would be if Highland Hall admitted openly that they have made a mistake and terminated Mrs. Leonard.  For that would be the right thing to do, and for Highland Hall, doing the right thing, the thing that puts the children above all else, is behavior that, sadly, is "atypical".  

I pray for Mrs. Leonard and hope she gets the help she so desperately needs.

Pete Karaiskos

Here are the lyrics to the song Mrs. Leonard sang to our children today:

It was early one morning in the month of May

Oh the wind and the rain

Two lovers went walking on a hot summer's day

A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He said to the lady "won't you marry me"

Oh the wind and the rain

"And my little wife you'll always be"

A crying the dreadful wind and rain

Then he knocked her down and he kicked her around

Oh the wind and the rain

Then he knocked her down and he kicked her around

A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He hit her in the head with a battering ram

Oh the wind and the rain

He hit her in the head with a battering ram

A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He threw her in the river to drown

Oh the wind and the rain

He threw her in the river to drown

A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He watched her as she floated down

Oh the wind and the rain

He watched her as she floated down

A crying the dreadful wind and rain

She floated on down to the miller's millstream

Oh the wind and the rain

He watched her as she floated down

A crying the dreadful wind and rain

The miller fished her out with a long fishing pole

Oh the wind and the rain

The miller fished her out with a long fishing pole

A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He made fiddle pegs of her long finger bones

Oh the wind and the rain

He made fiddle pegs of her long finger bones

A crying the dreadful wind and rain

He made a fiddle bow of her long curly hair

Oh the wind and the rain

He made a fiddle bow of her long curly hair

A crying the dreadful wind and rain

The only tune that fiddle would play was

Oh the wind and the rain

The only tune that fiddle would play was

A crying the dreadful wind and rain

The Story of Geb

INAPPROPRIATE MATERIAL - NOT FOR CHILDREN

Friends,

Below is the text of the Egyptian story that Mrs. Leonard read to our children.  I feel that it is every parent's right and responsibility to know what their child has been exposed to so that they can address issues or be watchful for problems with regard to their child.  Accordingly, it is the school's responsibility to make this information available to the parents.  Yet Highland Hall's administration has kept this information from me even though I requested it on five different occasions.  I finally received a copy of this story from another parent, not from Highland Hall.  It occurs to me, especially after reading the March 4th letter from the Evaluation committee and the March 5th letter commending Mrs. Leonard on her fine work, that other parents may not have had the opportunity to read the story below. 

***

GEB

Geb, the grandson of Atum, was the Earth God; his sister, Nut, was his counterpart as the Sky Goddess.  He was often depicted as a recumbent male figure lying beneath a woman, who is Nut.  Sometimes he appears as a goose; at other times, as a goose-headed man, or a man carrying a goose on his head.  In predynastic times, he was probably worshipped in the form of a sacred goose.

            It is perhaps surprising that Geb, the Earth God par excellence, should be male in gender.  In most cultures, the earth, the bringer forth of vegetation and living things, is regarded as female: Mother Earth.  In at least one place, his shrine at Bata in Heliopolis, Geb was worshipped as a bisexual god and credited with having laid the Great Egg from which the sun emerged at the dawn of time in the form of the Benu Bird (p. 47).  One of Geb's epithets was 'The Great Cackler', a reference to the cackle he gave as he produced this Egg.

            The Phakussa Stele (p. 52) tells of how Geb fell in love with his mother, Tefnut.  He yearned for her and wandered about the land in great distress until the day that his father, Shu, departed the earth.  On that day, Geb came upon his mother, Tefnut, in the palace of Shu at Memphis.  He seized hold of her with great violence and raped her.

            Geb does not seem to have been punished for the rape of his mother.  Instead, he became King of Egypt in his father's palace, and reigned successfully for many years.  He was given the title, unique to him, of Iry-paat-neteru or 'Heir of the Gods'.  Geb named as his heir his eldest son, Orisis, who thus became the first of many Kings, both mythological and human, to sit upon the Egyptian thrown, known as 'the Throne of Geb'; and the first to hold the title 'Heir of Geb', which was later borne by the mortal Kings of Egypt.

***

I can see now why my daughter felt so violated by Mrs. Leonard after being exposed to this story which is clearly not meant for children.  As I read it for the first time, I too felt violated - that Mrs. Leonard, a trusted person would not have the good sense to stop reading this to my child.  Clearly, during the reading of the story above, there were many places where anyone reading it to children might have taken pause to read ahead.  That someone of responsibility could read this in its complete form to 11-year-olds one day and be commended by the school on the next day is beyond belief.  Two years ago, after the Wendy Wilkins incident, I came to terms with the fact that Jeffrey Wilkins was a disturbed teenage boy who could and should be forgiven for his verbal sexual abuse of our children.  But Mrs. Leonard is not a disturbed 15 year old, she is an influential adult teacher at this school who is entrusted with the wellbeing of our children.  I do not easily forgive her for this, the most recent of many lapses of judgement.  I also hold Highland Hall  accountable for why this issue is not being dealt with more severly AND why covering up the incident is still the primary focus of their behavior.  Perhaps it's time for a lesser-known quote from our friend, Rudolf Steiner:

"We tried to be aware how far our present civilization is removed from the search for the truth.  We may say that the times are crying out for the spirit but that people are too arrogant or narrow-minded to search for the true spirit with a real will.  The degree of truthfulness which is essential if we are to perceive what the spirit has to say needs to be taught and developed.  Such truthfulness is not to be found in the educated world today, and, what is worse, people do not realize that it is lacking."  Rudolf Steiner - The Fifth Gospel

Here's one not by Steiner:

The Devil's greatest trick was convincing the world he doesn't exist.

Friends, please join me in calling for light in the darkness that has, once again, shrouded Highland Hall.  Truth and openness are nothing to be feared.  Deceit and misdirection are not the tools of honest people.

Pete Karaiskos

Parent Recommendations for Highland Hall

June 26, 2001

College of Teachers & Board of Directors                                              DRAFT

Highland Hall Waldorf School

17100 Superior St.

Northridge, CA 91325

Dear Members of the College & Board:

On Friday, June 22, 2001, we participated in (or have been told about) a meeting held at school that covered many difficult issues surrounding actual and potential exposure to inappropriate/harassing sexual commentary and propositions that a number of the children at our school experienced from Jeffrey Wilkins, the teenage son of then 3^rd Grade Teacher, Wendy Wilkins.  It is our understanding that Ms. Wilkins will no longer be teaching at Highland Hall and that efforts are being made to help Ms. Wilkins and her son get the professional help that they and their family need.

The meeting lasted four hours and only ended because people became exhausted.  All acknowledged the need to continue to discuss the various issues that these events have raised.  Understanding that the College of Teachers has spent enormous amounts of time and personal energy dealing with this situation, and hearing an appeal for help in leading the community through this difficult time, we have taken it upon ourselves to outline some potential next steps for the College and Board to consider:

1.  Investigation & Discovery and Recovery:  Many people felt that before they would be able to contemplate the future, it is critical to understand more fully what actually happened, to the extent it can be learned.  Also, in order to improve our process for dealing with, and ideally preventing, incidents of this nature, we must understand what was done this time, what reasoning went into the decisions that were made and the results of the choices that we collectively made.

As follow-up to the guidelines suggested by the Valley Trauma Center, we recommend that a meeting be set to which all people who have since spoken with their child and who have direct knowledge concerning incidents involving Jeffrey and their child that could be shared to the benefit of others would be encouraged to attend.  The meeting should be facilitated by the Valley Trauma Center personnel.  The purpose of the meeting would be to create a timeline of events that is as complete and accurate as possible.  These events would include incidents involving Jeffrey, parents notifying school authorities of such incidents, the school’s communication(s) with Ms. Wilkins regarding the situation and any other actions taken in regards to the situation.  People with such direct knowledge who are unable to attend in person would be encouraged to provide whatever information they had to offer in writing prior to the meeting.

In order for the meeting to be most productive and to try and limit the potential for a raging forest fire of hearsay, we suggest that every family and faculty/staff member be sent a letter explaining the purpose of the meeting and a description of the recommended process for discussing the situation with their children.  It would probably make sense to enclose the handout from the Valley Trauma Center.  The emphasis would be on calmly eliciting the facts, reassuring the children if they need to share difficult or embarrassing information and helping the children affirm their own power for any potential future incidents of this nature.  The goal is to avoid the inadvertent creation of misinformation in the quest for the needed information to allow healing to be assisted and improved processes to be developed.

The following people are willing to help with drafting the mailing to the community, arranging the meeting time in coordination with the Valley Trauma Center personnel and arranging the logistics for the meeting:   (please let me know if you would like your name added here)

2.  New 4^th Grade Teacher Search & Future Teacher Searches:   Many parents in the upcoming 4^th Grade feel that it would enhance the process of selecting the next teacher for the class if the College had the benefit of parent opinion, as well as all of the other factors the College takes into consideration when selecting a new teacher.  We recommend that a new Search Advisory Committee be selected by the College from a pool of volunteer parents from throughout the school.  This Advisory Committee would review the resume and any other information available on any teacher candidate under serious consideration by the College, interview the candidate from the perspective of parents, rather than colleagues, and give its impression and any areas of recommended further investigation back to the College as part of the College’s due diligence process.   We would recommend that Advisory Committee members recuse themselves when the teacher candidate is for their own child’s class.

The following people are willing to work with whomever the College mandates to do whatever letter writing, recruiting and other legwork necessary to bring the formation of this committee about:   Alex Wright,  David Cohen (please let me know if you would like your name added here)

3.  Changes to Current Community Practices to Better Protect the Children Under the School’s Care:   In order to realize the opportunity inherent in these unfortunate and painful events, we as a community need to grow and change.  Many questions and ideas have been put forth regarding notification, education, faculty/staff training, etc.  In order for these questions and ideas to be more fully discussed and lead to actual changes in the practices of our school community, we recommend that a committee from the broad community be formed to discuss these issues in depth, solicit ideas from professional resources, such as the Valley Trauma Center and/or other communications facilitators, and discuss with College members what kinds of guidelines and principals govern College decisions.  With this education and opportunity for discussion, the committee would formulate and present recommendations to the Board and College for consideration.

The following people are willing to work with whomever the College mandates to do whatever letter writing to the community and other legwork necessary to bring the formation of this committee about:   Alex Wright,  Lynne Moses (please let me know if you would like your name added here)

We all appreciate that Highland Hall is more than a school, that it is a social community for the families that make up the students, parents, faculty, staff, College and Board of the school.  We also recognize that much of the work that is typically handled by a larger administration in other schools is instead handled by faculty members volunteering to serve on the College at Highland Hall.  Therefore, the work of those in positions of authority in running the school extends far beyond the usual demands of school governance.  For this reason, we recognize that we all need to do our part in bringing about social change and supporting the College and Board in your work.  We sincerely hope that these suggestions are taken in that spirit of responsibility and loving support.

                                    Sincerely,

David Cohen

Ayelet Cohen

Alex Wright

Ben Moses

Lynne Moses

(Please let me know if you would like to add your name here) 

cc:  Parent Association

The Never-Ending Story of ABUSE at Highland Hall

I don't often write directly in my blog about current events, and almost never directly about my daughter.  Lots of people ask me how she's doing now and if she has recovered.

I'm VERY proud of the progress my daughter has made in the last year and a half.  Through tremendous effort and perseverance, I was able to get a judge to order her into a lock-down health care facility out of state.  My daughter was able to turn herself around at that facility and graduated with the highest marks ever recorded there.  She has been released and is living in Colorado, working in clothing sales for Harley Davidson and has been accepted at the University of Colorado.

We had lunch together when she visited California a couple  months ago.  We call and text each other regularly.  I have helped her arrange for residency at the university for next semester... but in the mean time, she has lost her job and is about to be evicted.  It's three months before she's safely in school.

I have a couple of things to say about this.

My daughter is ALWAYS going to suffer over the criminal record she acquired last year.  After securing a restraining order on me, my daughter's mother Angela was supposed to have temporary physical custody of my daughter.  Despite many attempts by me to secure a therapist for my daughter during this time, Angela ensured no therapist could be found that suited her.  Two years went by - during which I continually tried to go through the courts to get the bogus restraining order removed.

Angela, a nursery teacher at Highland Hall, has been living with head administrator of Highland Hall, Jim Pedroja, almost since our divorce began - around 2001.  They were, of course, living together during the time my daughter was in Angela's custody.  By this time, and after years of abuse by her teachers, my daughter was finally out of Highland Hall - thanks to my efforts and the strong support of her therapist.  But with the restraining order in place, and no therapist available to reconcile our relationship (something the court ORDERED) - my daughter had no father in her life.

With no parental guidance, my daughter ended up moving in with a 30 year old meth dealer and pedophile... and not a PEEP out of her mother or Jim Pedroja.  In fact, it appears they supported this relationship - or at the very least, gave up completely on my daughter.  The meth dealer was seen many times, coming in and out of Angela's home at all hours.  The only times Angela showed concern for her daughter was in front of a judge.

So... the inevitable happened... My daughter started overdosing on crystal meth... and ended up in the emergency room - several times.  Her mother tried to cover it up.  MANY people from Highland Hall assisted them in trying to hide my daughter - even tearing down Missing Child posters.  This is all in the court documents elsewhere in this blog so I won't restate everything here... but suffice to say - the responsibility for what happened to my daughter lies clearly on the shoulders of her mother Angela and her boyfriend Jim Pedroja - and indirectly Highland Hall.  There is NO doubt of this.

So - when my daughter calls me now and says she cannot find work... I have to think about that criminal record and who is ultimately responsible for it?  This will follow my daughter around for the rest of her life.  That's something that can be quantified.

Negligence of a child is a terrible thing when it happens in society.  That SCHOOL TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS are guilty of this type of negligence is a travesty.  That they seek to cover it up is a crime.

The abuse of my daughter at Highland Hall led to her eventual brush with the law.  The trail is clear - and the reasons for covering up abuse are OBVIOUS!  This is just ONE MORE THING I hold the monsters at Highland Hall accountable for.

When the jury hands down a reward, I know they will take this into consideration.

Letters to Minor's Counsel - 7

Attorney at Law

            JUNE ADLER                                                                                   

                CERTIFIED SPECIALIST - FAMILY LAW                                                                                                        

                        CALIFORNIA BOARD OF LEGAL SPECIALIZATION                                                                                                   

                        OF THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                       

                                                                         April 14, 2005


Bruce Abramson, Attorney at Law
Lenske and Abramson


            Re:            Marriage of Karaiskos

Dear Mr. Abramson:

I am in receipt of your letter dated March 30, 2005 and a response from Mr. Sobel dated March 31, 2005. 

Neither Mr. Karaiskos nor I am aware of any or order that suggest he may not contact you directly about matters concerning the children in this matter.  If you would like me to instruct him not to contact you directly about these types of issues, please indicate so.  Mr. Karaiskos is concerned, however, that because of the very little contact you have had with your clients, the children are reluctant to call you when problems arise in their lives.  Mr. Karaiskos feels he has been put in the position of having to be an advocate for what the children feel their best interests are, even when their outlook is in conflict with his own concerns for their best interests (their desire to remain in their current school for example).  Mr. Karaiskos is hoping you will take the time to find out what the children feel their own needs and best interests are soon, because it is far more likely that a reasonable settlement might be achieved if the children's desires and best interests were more accurately taken into account.  You have indicated that you will interview the children when they have had two therapy sessions each.  At this time, {Daughter} has had two recent therapy sessions and {Son} and {Son} have each had one.

Mr. Karaiskos is also concerned about {Son}' grades.  He has collected but not passed on to you, more recent failure notices from the school.  While Mr. Karaiskos appreciates your suggestion that an educational therapist might be helpful for {Son}, Mr. Karaiskos feels he has demonstrated repeatedly that {Son} will do his homework when he is in Mr. Karaiskos' home.  It doesn't seem reasonable to assume this is a psychological problem when it only occurs at one parent's home.  This appears to be a parenting problem - of one parent letting {Son} get away with no homework and the other insisting that it be done.  

Mr. Karaiskos will not be teaching the 4 week class at Highland Hall as expected.  The teacher of the 7th grade, Mrs. Knight, who asked him to step in and teach the class has taken ill and will be out for the remainder of the year.  This left the final decision in the hands of the school administrators.  A substitute teacher will teach the class for the remainder of the year.  Mr. Karaiskos experience has come to the attention of another teacher.  Mr. Karaiskos has been asked by the physics teacher, Mr. Mellett, to supply teaching materials, input and possibly to lecture to the 10th grade students on mechanics.

With regard to the children continuing their education at Highland Hall, Mr. Karaiskos suggests you may have read too much into his willingness to help the children.  Mr. Karaiskos' commitment was to the students, not to the school.  Mr. Karaiskos is involved in the community and has the support of many parents, teachers and staff, despite his open criticism of the school administrators and the underlying philosophy.  As long as the Karaiskos children go to this school, Mr. Karaiskos supports the school community in many ways as an example to his children.  Mr. Karaiskos has not changed his mind about the institution itself - as it is mired in a religious philosophy that is problematic.  The idea that the children would attend this school must be predicated on equally divided custody - and that would have to include the school year.  Mr. Karaiskos' requirement to monitor the children's education at this challenging school is the cornerstone of this compromise and without fulfillment of this custody requirement, Mr. Karaiskos will not accept this school for the children in any settlement. 
 
So, to answer your question, the trial issues still pertaining to your clients are custody and school.  Mr. Karaiskos feels a reasonable compromise can be achieved only when the custody issue is examined in conjunction with the school.  Please note that equally shared custody was in place for three years before formal divorce proceedings were initiated.

I would also like to respond to Mr. Sobel's March 31, 2005 letter here.  Again, I have to wonder if I have been told to tell my client not to contact you.  I suggested he call you directly about the vaccination issue because no response had been given to his reasonable request to vaccinate his children. 

There is no official document that suggests that Mr. Karaiskos would be teaching at Highland Hall.  This was done as a person-to-person agreement between Janet Knight, the 7th grade teacher, and Mr. Karaiskos.  At this school, things are done informally.  Mr. Karaiskos prepared an outline of the mechanics class and submitted it to the leadership team of  Lori Gardner and Laura Ferris, per their request so the school might decide whether or not Mr. Karaiskos might teach the class in Mrs. Knight's absence.  That is the only written documentation.  Mrs. Knight told Ms. Gardner and Ms. Ferris that Mr. Karaiskos would be teaching this lesson block and they contacted him by phone to ask for his outline.  Mr. Karaiskos has subsequently been invited by the physics teacher, Mr. Tom Mellett, to lecture and provide support on Mechanics in April for his 10th grade science classes.  Mr. Karaiskos has accepted this invitation.

Mr. Sobel seems confused that appointments were made at Kaiser for the children.  I don't know the basis for his confusion.  It was clear in correspondences that Kaiser was available for the children and that the availability of therapy there should be exhausted before other therapists were utilized.  Furthermore, you prepared a stipulation dated approximately February 11, 2005 that stated in paragraph 2:

"Initially, all three (3) minor children shall utilize the counseling services afforded through their Kaiser Health Insurance coverage.  These services shall continue until such time as to each minor child, when such child's therapist/counselor deems that further counseling is not necessary, if such services are no longer available through Kaiser (having been exhausted), or if the counselor recommends that a different counselor be utilized.  Issues to be addressed in {Son}'s counseling shall include his attitude toward school and his failure/refusal to complete the schoolwork assigned to him."

While the stipulation was not signed by all parties for other reasons, it bears the signatures of both Mr. Sobel and Ms. Karaiskos.  When Mr. Sobel pretends to be surprised that "Mr. Karaiskos apparently took it upon himself to unilaterally schedule appointments for the children with mental health professionals at Kaiser.  This came to my client's attention when she received a letter from Kaiser indicating that appointments had been set for each of the three children." - I would suggest he would not be as surprised if he and his client actually paid attention to the documents they signed.  Mr. Karaiskos interpreted your stipulation, signed or not, as expressing a directive - that the children should be placed in counseling immediately.  That is exactly what Mr. Karaiskos took upon himself to do.  Ms. Karaiskos was immediately made aware of the appointments and agreed to them.  Both parents participated equally in the process.

{Daughter} went to therapy on Tuesday, March 16th.  Mr. Karaiskos took her to the therapy and my client has expressed that the therapist, Ms. Flynn, suggested he stay in the session for some period of time - certainly not half the session.  It was upon Mr. Karaiskos' own suggestion that he left the room.  At Ms. Karaiskos' suggestion, and an email will confirm this, Mr. Karaiskos also took {Son} to his therapy session on March 30th (during Ms. Karaiskos' custody).  Mr. Karaiskos has described to me that again he was invited into the therapy by Mr. Perrin and {Son} asked that Mr. Karaiskos stay.  Mr. Karaiskos describes it as a very positive session.  Toward the end of the session, Mr. Karaiskos excused himself so that {Son} might have some opportunity to talk with Mr. Perrin one-on-one.  Mr. Karaiskos also informed Mr. Perrin that {Son)  would be in to see him the following day and that he should perhaps look at school and homework issues when he works with {Son} - again based on your directive in the unsigned stipulation.  Both {Daughter} and {Son} had appointments on March 31st.  Mrs. Karaiskos took them.

With regard to Mr. Sobel's claim of Mr. Karaiskos' "unilateral submission" of the children to therapy, this type of characterization is simply a waste of everyone's time.  In fact, Mr. Sobel himself indicated specifically that Mr. Karaiskos could make the children's appointments but that they would have to be agreed to by Ms. Karaiskos (and they were).  The claim that Mr. Karaiskos took this initiative unilaterally while it was in accordance with your instructions, Mr. Sobel's conditions and the knowledge, approval and participation of Ms. Karaiskos is absolutely without merit.  Mr. Karaiskos has, however, left it up to Ms. Karaiskos to make the next appointments.  So far, two weeks have passed and no effort has been made by Ms. Karaiskos to continue the children's therapy.  It seems Mr. Karaiskos will, again, be taking the initiative to schedule appointments for the children.


June Adler

Letters to Minor's Counsel - 3

Bruce D. Abramson

of Lenske, Lenske & Abramson

re: 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

Letters to Minor's Counsel - 1

Bruce D. Abramson

of Lense, Lense & Abramson

re: Dissolution of Karaiskos 

Dear Mr. Abramson,

I am in receipt a copy of Mr. Sobel's letter to you dated July 2, 2004.  I can confirm for you that I am indeed the author of the "open letter response" to Highland Hall that was posted on the openwaldorf.com website.  I signed the letter with my full name.  Furthermore, I can confirm Mr. Sobel's assumption that posts to that site by the author "PK" are, indeed, posts authored by me.

Of course you are free to draw your own conclusions regarding the posts I have made to this website.  I would like to point out, however, that in the topic Mr. Sobel references "Atlantis Coloring Book and Other WMDs", (a title that is, for those of us who know Waldorf practices, sarcastic in nature as Waldorf schools don't permit coloring books and discourage their use by children) my comments are absolutely constructive.  In many topics, including the Highland Hall area (listed under West Coast Schools) I have made many constructive comments and also some intended to initiate reform.  I have recapitulated my concerns dating back to the year 2001 in evidence of the fact that Highland Hall has been consistently unwilling to undergo a self-examination of its policies to the detriment of the children who attend school there.  Please, evaluate every comment by me and by others (especially two former Waldorf teachers "nmfoss" and "bdandje") as well as the many articles and references (links) to other websites that both support and critique Waldorf education.  It serves your clients well for you to get a clear picture of the environment they are in.

In the course of posting about Highland Hall specifically, I have received many private emails from parents who support my efforts.  More disturbingly, now that parents have become aware of my experiences with Highland Hall, parents have stepped forward to relate experiences involving their own children.  I am reluctant to provide these to you in any form other than a sealed document for your review only as these were intended to be private correspondences.  Some parents may choose to make their experiences public as they seem to be heartened by my courage to speak out.  I have found out about the experiences of other parents at Highland Hall only by circumventing the communications protocol restrictions and by participating in this open forum.  Highland Hall has gone to great lengths to discourage open discussion and to isolate parents in order to protect themselves from criticism they truly deserve.  

Some of the more disturbing reports I have read describe events some of which took place concurrent with events involving my own children.  The reports include two incidents of teachers having sexual relations and intercourse with students - one with a minor student, one with a student when she turned 18, several incidents of sexual harassment and threats by teachers and staff, at least two incidents of inappropriate physical (sexual) touching by a teacher, incidents of coercion to suppress testimony by children, incidents of failure to maintain the confidentiality of a minor and (and in fact publicizing information to the minor's peers), one incident of a teacher at the school being arrested for possession of child pornography and several instances when mandatory reporters failed to (and apparently conspired not to) contact authorities after repeated reports of inappropriate predatory activity by a teacher - instead choosing to badger, ostracize and belittle the students into reversing their testimony.  None of the above references are to any of the events I have already described regarding {Daughter}'s teacher, Mrs. Leonard who displayed similar behavior, or {Son}'s former teacher, Ms. Wilkins whose pedophile son was permitted to roam freely through the school and had regular unsupervised contact with {Son} and {Daughter}.  I believe the cloak of secrecy that envelopes Highland Hall allows (and perhaps invites) child predators to interact with children freely with the knowledge that their activities will be difficult to discover and in all likelyhood covered up out of the school's own desire for self-preservation and their need to misdirect public attention.  In many cases, people who have behaved improperly have been (and in some cases still are) supported by the school.

I expect criminal and civil action to be forthcoming against Highland Hall as more and more parents compare notes and more the truth about Highland Hall's behavior is revealed.  It is not my intention or desire to tear down a good school - it is my hope to expose a bad one for what it is.  It is clear to me that Highland Hall is an unsafe environment, not only because of a few "bad apples" (if sexual predators and child abusers can be characterized as such) but because of the schools initial response in each and every case to cover up the inappropriate and illegal behavior of their teachers and staff.  Even if none of what has been reported to me is true (although I have confirmed many of these reports from other sources), what I have witnessed personally is enough to give me considerable concern about this school. 

Mr. Sobel states "I do wish to express the concern of Ms. Karaiskos that {Daughter}, and probably the other children, are being involved in these matters to an inappropriate extent and in an inappropriate manner."  This is the rare occasion that I can wholeheartedly agree with Angela.  I can say with confidence that I am extremely concerned that the children are being involved to an inappropriate extent and in an inappropriate manner not by my critique of the school, but simply by their attendance at this school.  It is almost certain that discussions to discredit me in the eyes of my children have transpired at the school and at their mother's home, that innuendos and inappropriate commentary have reached their ears.  Lately, the children seem to be angry at me for no apparent reason other than the stress of conflict over what they have been told and what they know to be true. 

Certainly, the school has a history of dealing with troublesome parents discrediting them and by punishing their children.  In {Daughter}'s case this was evident and when the school realized they couldn't stop my emails  even with threats of lawsuits and arrest, they called me to inform me that {Daughter} may be forced to spend one or more days in the hot sun gardening as a punishment for "her" behavior.  If this type of action is appropriate for their school, they shouldn't be concerned when I discuss it in a public forum.

I would like to turn your attention to the wording of the letter from Highland Hall dated June 24, 2005.  I believe it exposes an intention that directly affects your clients.  The wording is in the last paragraph "Our decision only applies to {Daughter} and next year's sixth grade class."  What I am reading here is that this expulsion only applies for a year.  While on the surface this seems inconsequential as {Daughter} has expressed a desire to leave the school anyway, I am of the belief that {Daughter}'s mother will try to block efforts by me to put {Daughter} in a good public school in a safe school district where {Daughter} is likely to thrive and be happy.  I sadly believe it serves Angela's interests to have {Daughter} experience a difficult year in public school in hopes that she may change her mind and again return to the school of Angela's choice, Highland Hall.  To that end, Angela, I believe, will insist that {Daughter} attend school in an area close to Highland Hall in the difficult LAUSD.  This would not be in {Daughter}'s best interests as a school in a safer school district would be far more beneficial to her and would allow her to begin healing from the previous year's stressful situations.  I would hope you consider this possibility in any decisions you make regarding {Daughter}'s placement in public school if it is your intention to allow this.

It almost goes without saying that the entire letter from Highland Hall was intended to provoke a response from me.  It simply could have read "The College of Highland Hall Waldorf School has decided that the school cannot re-enroll {Daughter} for the 2004-2005 school year.  Please contact us if you feel you would like to discuss this matter in detail."  Instead, they chose to indict me about my "behavior" and activities.  I have no control over what Highland Hall does, what they write or how they behave.  I can only bring it to people's attention.  My troubles with Highland Hall will continue as long as they behave unprofessionally, immorally and illegally and in a way that is damaging to children - not just my own, but all children.  I hold out no hope that any of that will change despite my efforts to work toward a positive and productive reform of the school.  I understand that this makes it difficult for the school and for my children.  My parental obligation is to ensure that my kids are safe, not just physically but emotionally and psychologically.  My moral obligation is to expose Highland Hall to other parents whose children might be placed there.  I don't believe Highland Hall provides a healthy environment for my children and as long as they are there, it will be my responsibility to ensure their safety.  I don't trust Highland Hall because they have repeatedly lied not just to me but to many, many parents.  They have coerced children (even my own) through ridicule, fear and punishment.  They have avoided and conspired to avoid the state-mandated reporting that is in place to protect children.  It is my hope that you will clarify and support the need for healthy communications on both sides of this issue if any of the children are required to remain there.

In another communication you have asked for a response from me as to where I am considering moving to.  It is yet unclear if any funds will be released for me to spend on housing or moving expenses and I am guessing some court action will have to transpire before I am able to determine if I am buying or renting and whether I will be able to afford a home or an apartment or which areas will be affordable to me.  Keeping in mind that proximity to the children's school and friends is important but also that I have family (including the children's elderly grandmother) near my current home and that most of my established clients are also near my current home, the location I am most interested in is Simi Valley.  It is one of the safest cities in the world and is a 10 minute drive from Highland Hall and not too far from the children's friends, my established business contacts and the children's extended family.  This would appear to have the benefit of good proximity to the school and a clean, safe living environment not commonly found in the San Fernando Valley.  Housing is not particularly expensive and public schools in the area are very good.  I have discussed this area with the kids and we are in agreement that this would be acceptable.    

When we last spoke, you asked me to prepare several custody schedules for consideration.  As Highland Hall school has taken action against {Daughter}, some of the custody schedules I prepared are now rendered irrelevant, however I have prepared two proposed custody arrangements for the condition of 1 or more children attend Highland Hall and two for the condition of all three children attend public school.  I would like to fax them to you directly if possible.  The children have expressed to me a preference for schedules of one week with each parent without regard to birthdays, holidays and so forth - each parent driving the children to and from social events during their custody time.  I have tried to adjust my home relocation plans to accommodate their wishes. 

For the proposals in which the children attend public school, I have indicated shared legal custody would be appropriate.  For the proposals in which any of the children attend Highland Hall, I have asked for full legal custody.  I have done this out of necessity for the children's well-being and not out of any selfishness or presumed ulterior motives to remove them from the school.  I feel that enough evidence has surfaced regarding Highland Hall's actions to legitimize my request for full legal custody.  I will promise to respect the wishes of any of my children who choose to attend Highland Hall but would like the legal right to act unilaterally on their behalf if they decide not to attend this school as I am certain their mother would block any attempts by them to leave.  I feel that their mother's connection with Highland Hall, her job status and her belief system as an Anthroposophist precludes her from taking legitimate action on behalf of her children against Highland Hall. 

For the children to attend Highland Hall, I would request assurances from the school that both {Daughter} and I would be permitted to attend regular school events and functions as we have in the past, and that threats of arrest against me would cease.  I have never been confrontational, only outspoken, but if I ever do something that warrants arrest, they have the right and obligation to have me arrested - threatening arrest is immature and serves no purpose other than to generate gossip and rumors that my children eventually hear.  I would expect teachers to contact me directly when my children are not doing well in school and initially I would contact the teachers directly when I feel a problem has surfaced.  I would expect communications with administrators and faculty to be non-confrontational and professional.  I feel these are reasonable requests and expectations that would be at the forefront of working toward a positive experience for the children. 

Thank you, sir, for your work with the children.  As you are aware, this has been a difficult time for them and you have empowered them to make their desires known.  I very much appreciate this.

Sincerely,


Pete Karaiskos