Kingswood Oxford Launches Investigation Into Possible Sexual Misconduct By Faculty in ‘70s, ‘80s

West Hartford, CT — Kingswood Oxford School in West Hartford announced Friday that it has launched an investigation into possible sexual misconduct by faculty in the 1970s and 1980s.

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Head of School Dennis Bisgaard and I. Bradley Hoffman, chairman of the board of trustees, said in a joint letter to the Kingswood Oxford community that the school has hired the law firm of Robinson & Cole LLP to “investigate those concerns as well as any others that might come to light through this investigation.”

“We encourage members of our school community, past and present, to come forward to share with us any information and concerns about sexual misconduct that they believe may have occurred at Kingswood Oxford,” the letter reads.

Kingswood Oxford is a 6 through 12 private day school with 508 students from 55 towns in Connecticut and western Massachusetts, according to its website.

Bisgaard and Hoffman wrote that given the succession of “heartbreaking and troubling reports about sexual abuse of students at private schools in the Northeast” over the last several years, the school initiated a review of its policies and procedures related to hiring, monitoring, and reporting of suspected instances of sexual misconduct.

“Those revised policies and procedures will be shared with our school community this summer, prior to the start of the new academic year,” the letter reads. “Please know that we are committed to thoroughly investigating and addressing any report of suspected sexual misconduct that is brought to our attention, even if it may have occurred in the past. To that end, late last week some concerns were communicated to us about possible faculty misconduct occurring in the 1970s and 1980s.”

Anyone wishing to come forward to share any information or concerns about sexual misconduct at Kingswood Oxford is asked to contact Bisgaard at either (860) 233­9631 or bisgaard.d@kingswoodoxford.org.

Bisgaard also said members of the Kingswood Oxford community may also contact Edward Heath of Robinson & Cole, who is leading the investigation for the school, at (860) 275­8297 or KingswoodOxford@rc.com.

“We understand that it may be painful to discuss this subject, and we will listen with empathy and care,” the letter reads. “In the event that someone were to come forward, we are prepared to arrange for counseling and other sources of support.

“Kingswood Oxford has a long and proud tradition of being inclusive and open to all voices, and we stand on that strong foundation as we promise to remain in touch with you about this important subject. We hope that everyone who receives this letter will feel comfortable contributing to this dialogue.”