Kingswood Oxford School Finds Credible Evidence of Faculty Sexual Misconduct

WEST HARTFORD, CT – Kingswood Oxford School announced Sunday that a recent investigation showed evidence of faculty sexual misconduct in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

The school sent a letter this weekend to “members of the Kingswood Oxford School community” revealing the results and apologizing for the recent revelation. The school had previously reached out to law firm Robinson & Cole LLP in June to look into these allegations.

The letter was sent by Head of School Dennis Bisgaard and Board of Trustees Chair I. Bradley Hoffman. The two said that “credible evidence” had been found of former faculty members engaging in inappropriate relations with students decades ago.

The faculty members are no longer with the school, which runs from sixth grade to high school.

“Kingswood Oxford’s foremost obligation is always to ensure the safety and wellbeing of each student - current and past - so he or she can thrive and reach his or her full potential. The School will not tolerate any faculty or staff member harming or violating a student,” the letter said.

The school will be mandating that all faculty and staff undergo sexual misconduct training, as well as a series of educational training sessions pertaining to student and community safety each year before the start of school.

“We will continue to listen to our alumni, students and parents and address reported issues in a forthright manner. We encourage you to come forward with information of past or present inappropriate behavior, as we remain committed to investigating any new report that may be made. This is a sensitive and painful topic, but we must face it together in an honest and compassionate way to assure that these instances never occur again,” the letter said.

Kingswood Oxford has 508 students from 55 towns in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, according to its website.

“Our priority continues to be the safety and wellbeing of our students, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure that. Kingswood Oxford School is a caring and nurturing community of which we can all be proud, an environment where our students are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve,” the letter said.

Image via Kingswood Oxford Facebook page.