Choate Launches Investigation into Sexual Misconduct by Faculty in 1990s: Report

WALLINGFORD, CT — Choate-Rosemary Hall has launched an investigation into instances of sexual misconduct by faculty that occurred in the 1990s, according to the New Haven Register.

Luther Turmelle of the Register reports that Choate has hired Nancy Kestenbaum of the New York City law firm of Covington & Burling to serve as an independent investigator.

The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Investigative team recently identified former Choate French teacher Bjorn Runquist as having a sexual relationship with a student. The article was part of the Globe’s ongoing investigation into sexual misconduct at prestigious prep schools across New England.

The latest article highlighted instances in which educators who were accused of sexual misconduct found new positions with other private schools, sometimes with the aid of a letter of recommendation from their previous educational institution.

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The Globe reports that Runquist was ultimately forced to resign after he had a sexual relationship with Cheyenne Hawk, a 1992 graduate, and the relationship began when she was a senior and he was her dorm adviser.

Despite the forced resignation, Runquist received a letter of recommendation from a Choate administrator and he later landed a job with the Kent School, according to the Globe.

While the Globe article only mentions the relationship between Runquist and Hawk, the Register reports that Hawk also made school officials aware that another former teacher had an improper relationship with her.

Both Runquist and the other faculty member left the school in the early 1990s and a Choate spokesman told Turmelle that no allegations against a current faculty or staff member prompted the independent investigation.

Read more at the New Haven Register here.

Read the full Boston Globe Spotlight investigation article here.

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