The City School - Pure Waldorf

I have a bit of an intimate relationship with The City School.  Since they have been in the news lately, it seems fitting I should post a little something here about them.

Background:
Andrew Janczak was a teacher at Highland Hall.  He was, in fact, my son's teacher.  After a year or so, Highland Hall decided he must go - and over the objections of all the parents but one (apparently), they insisted on disrupting the education of our children and fired Janczak.
Janczak talked the first grade teacher into leaving with him - and with the 6th grade teacher (his sister) left Highland Hall to create The City School - only a few miles away.  This left a huge vacancy in Highland Hall - which they scrambled to fill with unqualified teachers. 

After The City School got underway, I was contacted to play the role of "Bishop Nicholas" at the Christmas season.

Inherent Racism:
I was the City School's "Bishop Nicholas" for many years. For those who don't know, Bishop Nicholas goes from class to class distributing gifts to the children.  He has a book with each child's name in it - and reads a little about each child.  If the child was "good" the child gets a gift - a golden walnut.  There's always the chance the child was "bad" and this could result in a stern reproach from Bishop Nicholas - and instead of gold, the child could receive a lump of coal.  I had no use for the "bad" child nonsense and despite receiving instructions from several teacher each year about how to chastise the "bad" child - and even provided coal to give to the child, I disobeyed their twisted instructions and never chastised a child or gave them coal.  In fact, I provided my own gifts for the children, usually wooden tree ornaments.

Bishop Nicholas has an assistant named Rupert.  Rupert is intended to frighten the children and represents crudeness, wildness and mischief.  For years, my "Rupert" was a dark-skinned, dark haired boy related to one of the teachers.  I paid it no mind as it didn't seem important.  One year, however, when he couldn't be there, they chose a dark-skinned parent to play the role of "Rupert".  In a conversation about this, Janczak explained that skin color was an important part of Rupert's appearance.  I stopped associating with this school after that. 

Breaking Up Families:
Years later, a dad called me for help to get his children out of this school. The school took the side of the mother and refused all contact with the father - wouldn't even correspond to let him know how his kids were doing. When I intervened and called Janczak directly, he claimed that since the parents were divorced, it was too "costly" for the school to send two sets of grades out to both parents.  I suggested they should send the reports to the estranged parent rather than the one who was at the school daily.  They wouldn't relent until after I threatened to make them as popular as I have made Highland Hall. 

From my letter to Janczak:

I've tried to avoid this Andrew but I cannot stand by while another man goes through what I went through.  I WILL go to the mat for this man I've never met... and for his kids.   My tenacity is legendary.  Please, Andrew, don't allow the City School become the focus of my attention over this.  Ask poor Hasib at Highland Hall what that's like - he already has his hands full with me.  I'm already in contact with people in the entertainment industry about Highland Hall.  You don't need any part of the publicity they're about to get... trust me on this.

... I would have preferred to discuss this issue reasonably with the City School but time has run out it seems.  My hopes for your school were too high apparently.  When the chips are down, you behave just like Highland Hall.  No room for Waldorf to improve?

We go our separate ways now, yes? 

The City School Lately... 


Recent video:
First, here's a parent from the The City School describing Waldorf education in "layman's terms".  In other words, she's telling us what she's been told.

I once supported The City School because they had given me the impression they were up-front with parents. I later learned otherwise. Obviously, they are unwilling to go on camera themselves - and have instead put a parent with no knowledge of Waldorf philosophy on display to do a Waldorf brochure "testimonial". 

Recent News:
Here's the recent news article quoting The City School's administrator Andrew Janczak:

At The City School, a private school in Van Nuys, just two kindergartners in a class of 17 had all their required vaccines last year. 

The parents of the other 15 students decided not to immunize their children, because of their personal beliefs. 

“This is not a school policy, this is just a preference of our parents,” said Andrew Janczak, the school’s founder. “I think many of our parents believe their children benefit from a more holistic, natural approach. I think you see that by the choices they make.” 

The City School had the highest rate, 88 percent, of parents opting out of vaccinations in Los Angeles County in the 2013-14 school year. 

UnSpoofable:
As many of you know, I've been involved in producing a Waldorf school parody website.  On it, I try to select from and write the most outrageous things within Waldorf.  The City School, however, is unspoofable.  They go far beyond even what I could ever hope to think up.  For example, I have tried to spoof how unqualified Waldorf teachers are.  I focus on the lack of actual teaching credentials.  Yet, on The City School's Faculty pages, the teachers have even FEWER credentials than the ones I have spoofed.  Here's an example: 

She has received Waldorf teacher training through WISC workshops and lectures and has been mentored by master teachers both at Highland Hall and the City School.   She has been our Music Teacher at The City School for many years, and this year we are thrilled that she has chosen to take a class through the Grades!  She is currently teaching Grade 1 and 2 in addition to leading the chorus.  She has two sons, both Waldorf students.

Laura Watkins - Enrollment Director
and Outreach... arrrr...

I've added a few goofy pictures on my teacher profiles, but seriously? 

Waldorf School Bullying - old and new in recent testimony from Mumsnet

Thank you to the Stop Steiner in Stroud blog for bringing the updates to this older thread to my attention.  I'll count this as two new reviews.

From Mumsnet http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/a554507-steiner-school-scotland# 

AJMG Fri 07-Jun-13 18:57:53dear all - have not been on this website for some time but now find ourselves in the midst of a Steiner bullying situation in Scotland. See there has been a thread before and wondered if any of those involved are still here?

kaumana Sun 09-Jun-13 12:00:38

Have a look at the Local Edinburgh thread and you'll see that it is still a problem.

JaneGI Tue 06-May-14 19:25:40

Hope you don`t mind me writing on here but i have been thinking of this for that last few days. I was a child at a Steiner School in the 1970`s, bullying there was rife by Staff and Pupils alike, no one ever listened, no one ever stopped it, don`t know if i can go into it all because it is quite painful, but there was a girl in my class who was slightly different to everyone else because she had a medical condition that meant she was over weight.

One particular PE lesson, i don`t exactly know what happened because i wasn`t there that day, some other girls in the class went into the changing rooms, stripped her and put stinging nettles on her buttocks, nothing was done about it because the idea was it was her own fault.

I was a boarder there for some time and on regular occasions i had a boy come into my room at night who told me i would be dead in the morning. I also witnessed a teacher hit a child on the back of the neck so hard the child vomited. And witnessed another teacher drag a small girl by her hair along a path very hard because she didn`t want to go outside. I know this is an old thread but i just needed to tell some one. Thanks for reading.

Willow22 Sun 24-Aug-14 11:45:06

I've not read this thread before but just came across it. I noticed it was old and wasn't going to comment until I saw your message JaneGI. I'm so sorry to hear how bad it was for you and your fellow pupils in the 70s.

I hate to admit it now but we sent all three of our children to a Steiner school and we so regret the decision. My daughter was bullied both by the children and one of the teachers. My husband once arrived to collect her and found her soaking wet and covered in mud after being tipped into the local stream from a wheelbarrow. When he spoke to a teacher he was told she asked for it.

We don't know how it happened but even if she had volunteered to ride the wheelbarrow why didn't they clean her up and comfort her? She was bullied incessantly as were other children in her class and nothing was ever done. when she eventually became afraid to attend school we were asked to remove her because she was disrupting the class by not taking part in lessons!

My two boys did not experience this sort of thing but the level of education was really bad. The eldest left with two GCSEs, a C in Maths and a F in English and found college impossible to cope with yet he has an IQ in the gifted range. My younger son was asked to leave when we got into arreas with the fees after a lot of family problems incuding still having to cope with our daughter's ongoing mental health problems partly caused by her experiences at the school.

This is the school that is now a state funded academy and has received an £8,000,000 grant after the local education authority refused to help our children with their dyslexia due to a shortage of funding! 

"Unreliable Statements" by Estranged Wife - Schwartz Practically Exonerated

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/education/2014/08/21/waldorf-teacher-sues-child-porn-report/14396333/

CHESTNUT RIDGE – A former teacher that the private Green Meadow Waldorf School quietly cut ties with in 2005 after a trove of child pornography was allegedly found in his home is suing his former employer for defamation.

Eugene Schwartz, 69, claims in a lawsuit that a recent investigation by the school that outed him as a "sex addict" is libel based on "unreliable statements" made at the time by his estranged wife.

Schwartz worked at the Green Meadow school from 1981 until 2005, when the child pornography allegedly surfaced along with a stockpile of other photos of his featuring students in swimwear, according to the school's investigators. At least one "inappropriate" photo of a young female student was also found, investigators said.

He has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.

The text of the lawsuit

According to the suit, Schwartz was "never, at any time, in possession of child pornography" but, as a result of accusations made by his estranged wife in 2005, his employment at the school was terminated.

Background:

Last month, Green Meadow released a summary report of the investigation that revealed past sexual misconduct and abuse at the school that was most pervasive in the 1970s and '80s but which school leaders failed to address for years afterward. The summary report identified three former teachers, including Schwartz, as perpetrators of varying degrees of misconduct.

http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2014/07/eugene-schwartz-child-pornographer.html

Green Meadow Strikes Back:

Eric Silber, co-administrator at the Green Meadow school, said the school stands by the findings and the manner in which they were distributed to more than 160 Waldorf schools in North America.

"We looked at everything that went out (in the summary report), all the implications of that and, at the end of the day, we felt that we were going to take the steps to get the information out," Silber told The Journal News earlier this month

Silber said an ex-spouse of Schwartz's was not a witness in the investigation.

He declined to describe the materials reportedly found on a computer in Schwartz's residence and would not say whether the school or its investigators possess evidence of those materials now.

In a statement Thursday, Silber said that Threefold and Green Meadow "deny they are liable" to Schwartz for any of the claims in his complaint.

"We intend to vigorously defend against Mr. Schwartz's unfounded claims, as we maintain our focus on fulfilling the mission of our school," Silber said. "We have confidence in the judicial system and trust that the claim will be resolved in the school's favor."

Sexual Abuse in Steiner Schools

http://www.antroposofia.be/steinerschool/wordpress/seksueel-misbruik/

This is a Google translation of an article from 2010. The translation is a little troublesome, but the meaning comes through.

Sexual abuse
by Ramon De Jonghe • 11/05/2010
Germany is a case of child abuse again come to light. In anthroposophic home for disabled people, the group leader himself, according to the testimony of his own son, molested some children.Victims are not the mentally handicapped children, but the children of employees who live in the home with their families. It was also the son that his father pointed to the youth.Lübeck Nachrichten published the news the day before yesterday, May 9th.'Child-abuse in the home for the disabled Lübeck / Köthel - Serious abuse allegation against a group leader at an anthroposophic handicap facilities in Köthel (District of Lauenburg): The 44-year-old man is under strong suspicion of having sexually assaulting over the years of children. His own, underage son, friend of the alleged victim, turned desperately to the youth welfare office. ' volledig article.

About the victims, the newspaper writes: Affected are a now 15 and a 18-year-old youth. The younger one is friends with the son of the suspects. He had told him about the abuse and so set the ball rolling.What is special is that even in the case of the 18-year-old from abuse is spoken. About that arose on this site in recent weeks still under discussion. Commenting on the post work-shy scum supporters of Steiner showed among other know that can not be spoken. Of child abuse at 18-year-olds While, however, according to Waldorf education until adulthood there is 21 years.

Now I have always had the strong impression that will not be lifted relationships between teachers and pupils. So heavily within the Waldorf school movement See this response from Lieven Debrouwere. 22/04/2010 15:06 And then a teacher who enters into a relationship with a student. Child abuse? That depends. As you know, Steiner schools are not eager to send children. Asap to the first year Which has the result that there may be students sitting in the last few years that already 18 years old. You can hardly speak of child abuse if such a student enters into a relationship with a teacher. Is it ethically justified? Probably not. But what do you do when you are head over heels in love? What do you do when school when that happens (and as is well known: such a thing happens only at Waldorf schools)? Teacher immediately dismiss? To the police as some parents demand? All of them are not easy. I mean: Each case must be considered separately.

He even joined by another steiner adept. Disciple, 06/05/2010 19:24  You're quite easy to confuse the user. People over 18 years are not children, and you can not therefore speak of child abuse, period. speak of everything that you want, but not from child abuse.On April 21 Lieven Debrouwere had indeed yet also said this : Also the "misuse and abuse" of children in Steiner schools is inflated grotesquely. I have in the 30 years that I have two very close steiner schools have experienced, heard of exactly one case of what you 'sexual abuse' might call. So that's one case that he himself knows. Someone else has yet another case. Tell former students about their experiences. Teachers are put for a while inactive. And so that is piling up. If you add all that and on that message, are you exaggerating? Strange.

From the comments:

steiner school haarlem  22/05/2010
at disciple:

I am a former student of Rudolf Steiner school haarlem, I've counted four incidents experienced in my time at this school ... one teacher later married the pupil, and the other three teachers have left the school.

Where did they go, I wonder? 

I've been with a girl in the class who is deflowered by a horticulture teacher .. which it persisted at the time said doubted whether they really wanted it .. it lijtk me more than clear that not all the teacher pupil ratio such as to be heard.

01/06/2010
Students steinerschool celebrate 18th anniversary class.

In the background are a lot of minors to see. And a parent. I have some parents of students facing the school concerned with this picture, and they responded by saying that the lady in question just dancing. (Well, stripping is dancing, but not just )
My youngest son (. 11y) was once on this site reading and immediately said, "Is that woman stripping in the school where we have been?"
"Yes, boy. But people call it as it is not stripping, but dance. "
To which he "Ho dude, who are no good."

I have the impression that it is something with which relationships between teachers and pupils. That the outside world sees it differently than the inner world.

Ramon DJV
28/09/2010
Anthroposophists indicate sexual abuse increasing.
http://antroposofieindepers.blogspot.com/2010/09/weten-of-non-weten.html

Translate and read the link above for admissions of sex abuse by the Christian Community Church.

Anonymous  22/11/2011

I know this story of free school haarlem and can confirm this message (first hand). Also, I have very bad experiences with the free school haarlem. It is a sectarian school which are swept., Just like in a sect such cases under the carpet There is for example in their statutes that they are based on the individual child, nothing is less true if you as a child is not within their ideal is you become seen as an apostate and handled accordingly.

I encourage all parents to never put their child in this school especially on the so-called. superstructure.

Ramon DJV
23/11/2011

Dag Anonymus,
Thanks for your comment. You perhaps know whether at the time was registered against the relevant teachers? Because I have received a few reports regarding some Waldorf school teachers which is known they establish relationships with students via private mail and that the police was passed. Perhaps these are the same teachers as those who you have known? You can let me know by Steiner schools (at) gmail.com
That "based on the individual" in the statute is obviously a paper measure.Something always pulls x number of parents who think it is really so. You have well noted that the real issue whether a child meets the anthroposophical development into it. Does that little or not you get the most bizarre situations (some children are not even considered human or devils).
Groet,Ramon

Harassment23/11/2011

Beste ramon
As far as I know, there is no declaration made the girl in question now has a normal life (such as it is) and want the whole story does not go rake. To protect this girl, I will not publish the name of this teacher.

I'll call all (future) parents to never free school haarlem to put their child.

Hell is other people 02/02/2012
Three relationships between underage students and teachers, I can attest as a former student of the Rudolf Steiner School in Haarlem, (a fourth is not known to me). This played around the 90's affected girls 16-18 years old, and teachers who were (in my memory) around 30. In one case, it resulted in a pregnancy.

To what extent there was involuntary, I can not judge. That is up to the individuals themselves. However, I believe that such relationships, even with mutual consent, a safe and pleasant school environment in the way and unhealthy for the development of adolescents. And three cases in a period of about five years is a relatively high frequency, especially on a relatively small school.

Were I to undesirable behavior, then a victim, I do not think I had reported it. The culture within the school I experienced so that students and parents who are critically drafted, could count on. Exclusion

I think that a nuance is in place here. Cross-border manners are not just reserved for free schools. Also, we are now 20 years on and I hope the school who has long seized to implement better policies. Chance A culture and school climate can change so much in so many years. 

I will not put my children in a free school because I have taken away from anthroposophy as food and education vision. following my own experiences On that basis, I would advise against parents. But I would not dare to say that the situation at the time was similar to the current conditions at this school or representative of private schools in general. Because I do not know.

anonymous04/02/2012

When it comes to numbers of abused children anthroposophic Zonnehuizen also occupies a prominent place. Some abuse cases have reached the court here. http://www.rhcvechtenvenen.nl/Utrechts-Nieuwsblad_1996
A multitude of abused children in the same case did not. Chancehttp://www.rhcvechtenvenen.nl/Utrechts-Nieuwsblad_1998

The abused children were part of a special vulnerable group, often placed out of home. The majority of abused children did not have access to a safe and secure home, where they could. Supervised from a justice and fair care Making this vulnerable group of children could be an easy prey, and the probability of detection for offenders and other knowers nil.http://www.rtvutrecht.nl/nieuws/231481

That the government her hands full of Zonnehuizen deducted, has besides the financial ones that prevent reason. It seems that they have taken into consideration here. "Separate abuse culture 'within anthroposophic institutions

Related links:
http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-indoctrination-of-students-to.html
http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2014/07/green-meadow-waldorf-school-sex.html
http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2014/08/waldorf-schools-how-well-do-you-know.html
http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2014/07/green-meadow-waldorf-school-sex-scandal.html

Westside Waldorf School - Safe for kids NOW?

Recently, the Westside Waldorf school was quoted in a newspaper article about Eugene Schwartz.  The article said:

 "The Westside School permanently barred Schwartz from its campus on the outskirts of Los Angeles after learning of Green Meadow's "disturbing" report." 

The Westside school is one of many Waldorf institutions Schwartz frequented as a guest lecturer and education consultant in the years since his departure from Green Meadow.

"We are deeply troubled and saddened by these revelations," the Westside school's governing council said in a July 21 email to parents. "We have redoubled our efforts and heightened our vigilance more than ever to provide the safest environment possible for our students."

Really?  I warned about Westside here: Westside Waldorf School Reviews

I know a few of these people since they were at the school my kids attended.  I even breakfasted with one of them frequently.  Here's how I described them:

Listed from Highland Hall are:
1) Lisa Profumo (Scemema)... who hid the Wilkins molestation incidents from the entire school, ignored mandated reporting laws and put the school in severe legal jeopardy.  She's lying whenever her lips move.
2) Liis Edwards... Check out letters from Highland Hall on this blog for her signature.  She was involved in MANY cover-ups at Highland Hall.
3) Alex Houghton... a former friend and former Waldorf teacher - he once pretended outrage at what was going on at Highland Hall and promised to reform Waldorf through WISC... he's now silent as WISC continues to employ the very WORST teachers Waldorf has to offer.  He is influencing Waldorf boards across the country... sadly.

The person I find most disturbing on the list above with regard to child safety specifically is Lisa Profumo (formerly Lisa Scemema).  She was my son's teacher from first through twelfth grade.  I know her well.  She was directly responsible for allowing and later covering up a known pedophile at Highland Hall.  She hid information from parents and teachers alike.  She lied to parents about supposed "signed" contracts and when the inevitable happened, she and everyone else at Highland Hall, despite being mandated reporters, FAILED TO ACT.  I'm sure the teachers at Westside are shocked to hear about the proclivities of this long-time child pornographer (who also frequented Highland Hall).  There's absolutely no chance they knew about him and kept silent (as Lisa did about a pedophile known to her)... Absolutely NONE, right?

So yeah... "redoubling" their efforts to maintain the safest WALDORF environment possible isn't really saying much is it?  This is Waldorf admitting they have put children in harms way in the past - and are keeping the same untrustworthy people on staff... but hey, you can trust them with your kids NOW.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/westside-waldorf-school-pacific-palisades

• Michellen B.
• Los Angeles, CA

Alessandra "Lisa" Profumo is abusive.  She neglects the needs of her students.  She is greedy and is a petty thief who steals childhood; time we cannot get back.  Avoid her and this school at all costs. Pathetic facade . . . brush off the fairy dust.  She left my son and his classroom alone with the gnomes watching who reported the children were bad.  The stuff that our child endured that is coming out now that he is safe is worthy of a lawsuit. This woman is a sick human being. We are just grateful to be free.

• Carolina T.
• Los Angeles, CA

Wish I could give them ZERO STARS !!! I had an ABSOLUTELY AWFUL experience !! This used to be a super sweet school with lots of nice people, but when I returned after attending a different school for four years, this place has turned into a nightmare, and the root cause of this nightmare IS one of the leaders of the school LISA PROFUMO ! Lisa mentored all of the abusive, horrible teachers I had and I believe she should NOT be allowed to be around children. WHY SHE WAS MADE HEAD OF THE SCHOOL I DO NOT KNOW !!!  My problems started at Westside after I was there Five years and they made the wrong choice in first grade teachers. I was in a class where the teacher would walk kids up to the front and hit them (not me).  The school didn't believe us so we left, but about six months later they eventually fired him. then went to another Waldorf school in the area, where the teacher had anger management issues and would throw a coffee cup full of hot liquid. I was scared constantly and ended up having severe anxiety. My parents then decided to give WSW another try  so i went back for seventh grade. My teacher was totally incapable of teaching middle school, and when she felt that you were starting to figure that out she would humiliate you saying you knew too much, or try to give you a lecture on how drops of water are not the same as water drops. I use to try to help other children in my class with organizing their desks, homework... and my teacher would often ask me why I was wasting my time on them, or she would tell me they would never be able to get it. She also humiliated me in front of my class, often calling me the worst drawer in the class. The math program needs a lot of work too !! One time I was wearing clear nailpolish, and they made me take it off in front of the head of school, while she gave me a lecture on how it is harming the imaginations of the younger children.  SEND YOUR CHILD TO A SCHOOL WHERE THEY WILL GET A SOLID EDUCATION WITHOUT THE ABUSE.

Waldorf Schools - How well do you know your child's teacher?

"One aspect of the insidious indoctrination in Waldorf schools is based on the establishment of a very close relationship between the teacher and his or her ​​students. Firstly, this proximity is enhanced by the fact that the same class teacher can follow the same group of students for six to eight years. This contributes to the creation of relationships that are more familial than professional. In addition, measures are deliberately taken to create the conditions for increased closeness."  Gregoire Perra former Waldorf student and Waldorf teacher. The Indoctrination of Students to Anthroposophy in the Steiner-Waldorf Schools

Yes, your child's teacher will be very close to your child... per Steiner's instructions.  They may be with your child for eight years - even more.  Waldorf teachers are intentionally supposed to get as close to the child as they can - and are to be seen as "authority" figures by the child.  

That's not always a good thing.

Perra continues later: "Here I must be very clear and also mention legally reprehensible behavior. Indeed, some ethical rules seem not to apply in the Steiner-Waldorf schools, and there are reports of sexual and romantic relationships sometimes occurring between students and teachers. For example, when I was teaching, I witnessed in one of these schools an illicit relationship that had developed between a teacher and a student of the upper classes. They started dating when the student was in 10th grade (Third) and the situation continued until the 12th grade (First or Terminal). All class teachers of the school knew about it, including some who were members of the board of the school. How could they ignore it, since this teacher and this student had come to live together in the same apartment? When this teacher left school after completing certification to teach further, all teachers of the upper classes — except one who probably wanted to be cautious, but who like the others who knew what had happened — came to a party in the apartment. Among themselves, teachers and students pretended to ignore or hide what was an open secret."

 - as we have seen with the recent disclosures of child abuse at Green Meadow Waldorf School.

One of the central conclusions from the independent investigation is that Green Meadow failed to adequately protect its students, faculty, staff, and community members from Mr. Alexandra. Allowing Mr. Alexandra to freely roam Threefold property resulted in giving him essentially unrestricted access to students and faculty members, and thereby enabled him to continue to victimize others. A number of the adults at Green Meadow and Threefold were in a position to have stopped Mr. Alexandra’s inappropriate and sometimes criminal behavior. However they did not do so, either because they were unaware of the breadth of his misconduct, or because they failed to understand the seriousness of what they had been told or had seen. 

Mr. Alexandra was a prominent member of the community and in a position of authority. Therefore his child victims were even less likely to come forward. In addition, T&M found that there was a feeling among some victims that adults at Green Meadow were complicit in what Mr. Alexandra was doing, since they observed his inappropriate behavior yet encouraged students to maintain a relationship with him. 

Doesn't this sound a lot like Gregoire Perra's description of teacher-student relationships going too far?  

Your child will have their teacher for many years.  

But there's another problem that makes this even more serious than the occasional bad teacher, child abuser or pedophile ending up at a Waldorf school.  Steiner instructed teachers to keep quiet about what happens in the school - even from parents.  Faculty Meetings is required reading for Waldorf teacher trainees.  It only takes Steiner to page 10 to get to how teachers should "not speak to people outside the school".

“However, there is something else that I would ask you to be aware of. That is, that we, as the faculty—what others do with the children is a separate thing—do not attempt to bring out into the public things that really concern only our school. I have been back only a few hours, and I have heard so much gossip about who got a slap and so forth. All of that gossip is going beyond all bounds, and I really found it very disturbing. We do not really need to concern ourselves when things seep out the cracks. We certainly have thick enough skins for that. But on the other hand, we clearly do not need to help it along. We should be quiet about how we handle things in the school, that is, we should maintain a kind of school confidentiality. We should not speak to people outside the school, except for the parents who come to us with questions, and in that case, only about their children, so that gossip has no opportunity to arise.”

From the Green Meadow Report:

"The findings, revealed in a damning report by a private investigative firm hired by Green Meadow, also accuse two other teachers of sex crimes — one of possessing child porn and another of assaulting a girl on a school-sponsored trip.  It says the school FAILED TO ACT when complaints of teachers' alleged criminal behavior surfaced.In the case of John Alexandra, the alleged serial offender, the school's lack of response enabled his predatory behavior, the report finds.

'Allowing Mr. Alexandra to freely roam Threefold property resulted in giving him essentially unrestricted access to students and faculty members, and thereby enabled him to continue to victimize others,' investigators said."

Waldorf schools are run by a very secretive society.  If you're involved in one... ask LOTS of questions - and insist on getting good, meaningful answers.  Waldorf schools are predisposed to hide information from parents... to keep things "confidential" - even to the point of preventing parents from talking with each other.  If your child's teacher is doing something inappropriate, there is no guarantee anyone will speak up, and a very good possibility nobody will speak up.  In Waldorf environments, they are trained to sweep this sort of thing under the rug.

So... how well do you know your child's teacher?  

Eugene Schwartz - the Child Pornographer who became a Waldorf Rock Star

I am quoted in this story.  I added a few of my own comments at the end:

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/education/2014/08/09/teacher-linked-child-porn-became-waldorf-rock-star/13849859/

Eugene Schwartz, now 69, has lectured widely and earned a reputation as a distinguished pedagogical leader since he left the Green Meadow Waldorf School in Chestnut Ridge in 2005, when the child pornography reportedly surfaced.

But Green Meadow officials did not investigate or share information at the time about Schwartz, whose career prospered after his 24-year teaching tenure ended in his abrupt departure from the school after that year's graduation ceremony.

...

The news sent shock waves to the West Coast, where the Westside Waldorf School in southern California severed its ties with Schwartz.

Other schools are expected to follow suit, said a spokeswoman at the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, which is charged with accrediting dozens of Waldorf schools in the U.S.

"I suspect, based on my conversations, that many others will take the same strong stance," said Beverly Amico, AWSNA's leader of outreach and development.

The Westside School permanently barred Schwartz from its campus on the outskirts of Los Angeles after learning of Green Meadow's "disturbing" report. 

Here's an interesting thing that slipped by me when I first read the report:

"Green Meadow assigned another teacher to teach with Mr. Schwartz in his class for that last week of school and to accompany him for all graduation activities. It then severed its professional relationship with him after the term ended." 

That doesn't mean he wasn't on campus.

"Based on the results of T&M’s investigation, (LAST MONTH) Mr. Schwartz has now (NOW?) been permanently barred from Green Meadow and Threefold property."

So... he was still allowed to visit GREEN MEADOW - AFTER they knew about him!

"The School at the time sought, and followed, the advice of its THEN legal counsel as to how and to whom to communicate what they learned about Mr. Schwartz and why he was no longer working at Green Meadow."

In other words, the (now fired) attorney told them what story to give out and to whom?  Seriously?  Give me a break!!!

The Westside school is one of many Waldorf institutions Schwartz frequented as a guest lecturer and education consultant in the years since his departure from Green Meadow. http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2014/06/westside-waldorf-school.html

...

After the child pornography discovery in 2005, Schwartz allegedly told several adults at Green Meadow and within the larger Threefold education community at Chestnut Ridge, where he lived, that he "was attracted to young girls," according to investigators.

Schwartz with a 4th grade class at Green Meadow in 2001 - photo Kathy Gardner 

The investigation determined Schwartz had also taken many photographs of students, including students in swimwear, as well as at least one "provocative" photograph of a young female student in a bathing suit. The report's summary does not provide any detail about the nature of what it describes as pornography.

...

In Schwartz's case, the investigators indicated, the school took the advice of its lawyer and did not report the pornography findings to police.

Nor did the school conduct a "prompt and thorough investigation to determine if he had acted inappropriately with any Green Meadow students or other children in the area," investigators reported.

...

Possession of child pornography is a felony. While employees of nonpublic schools are considered mandated reporters of suspected child abuse inflicted by parents and other guardians, the law, with few exceptions, doesn't obligate nonpublic school staff to report alleged abuse by other school staff.

...

In the nine years since Green Meadow quietly severed ties with Schwartz, he has traveled the world lecturing on Waldorf education, published articles and books, produced podcasts and videos and offered online workshops, according to his website, Millennial Child. He's worked as a consultant at schools throughout the United States — especially in California and in the Northeast — and visited classrooms to speak with students, teachers and parents.

Schwartz on the Radio

..."All through the years that I've known Eugene Schwartz I've had the highest regard for him," Bedingfield said. "He had a reputation as an outstanding teacher."

Schwartz Video

She said Schwartz's last visit to Suncoast was around 2006, when he gave a lecture about adolescent education. A blog post on the school's website describes the visit and his talk about "the unique relationship between the Waldorf class teacher and his or her students."

The blog post continues, "Since Waldorf teachers ideally stay with a single group of students from the 1st through the 8th grades, they have the opportunity to truly get to know each of their students and come to love them as an individual."

Bedingfield said that, if she could, she would have a conversation with Schwartz and hear him out about the child pornography allegations.

Schwartz using his teaching
status to promote Waldorf products

"Of course everyone's talking about this ... it's disappointing to hear," she said. "This sometimes happens when people are brilliant and they have much to offer... Human beings aren't perfect and it can be disappointing when you find out they're not perfect."

Here's the problem with all this. Excusing crimes against children is common for Waldorf. We have already documented many cases of child abusers moving from Waldorf school to Waldorf school - with full knowledge of the schools. That Schwartz was allowed to continue in the Waldorf world after having been discovered is not unusual AT ALL. Ultimately, most of the blame for this has to fall at the feet of Green Meadow teachers and staff who knew about Schwartz' problems and who said and did NOTHING! Also, the attorney for the school - who thought it might be smart to keep this quiet... seriously? Is that the type of attorney Waldorf schools hire to represent them?  Did he tell Green Meadow their teacher was a felon?  How could he not have?  

Green Meadow did nothing more than dismiss a known felon out into the world 1) without telling the police of reports of his crimes 2) without investigating the crimes themselves 3) without informing other schools in their own system which they knew Schwartz was visiting.  

Was Schwartz guilty of these "alleged" crimes?  Let's say he wasn't.  You're a well-known, established Waldorf teacher taking your third class through from first to eighth grade (24 years) and suddenly - "allegations" of child pornography arise.  If you are innocent of these allegations, do you DO NOTHING while the school assigns a supervisor to you while you finish your semester, and then fires you and bans you from their campus?  Or do you try to challenge these "allegations" that are ruining your career?  Apparently, Schwartz quietly ended his 24 year teaching career without a peep... no challenge to the allegations... only to launch a new and successful career in Waldorf - as a (well-respected) lecturer, teacher trainer and media promoter.  So - no peep from Schwartz... no peep from the school... Everything stayed quiet for almost a decade while Schwartz visited schools - often residing in the homes of parents when he visited.  Below is a copy of an email sent from Highland Hall when Schwartz visited California.

Nov 8, 2006

Hi All,Eugene Schwartz is coming to town and needs a place to call home. He arrives on Sunday, Nov. 12th and leaves on Wednesday, Nov. 15th. He will be spending 3 days at Highland hall and will have a car.Please call ASAP if you can help.

Communication & Outreach

Highland Hall Waldorf School

I actually offered my home for him to stay in (he didn't, BTW).  This is the type of reception Schwartz was used to from the school communities he visited. He would just visit a family and make himself at home while spending a few days at the school.  It would have been nice if Green Meadow had mentioned something (officially).  I think it's unlikely that Schwartz sexual proclivities were a secret to everyone in the Waldorf movement.  I think there were others in the movement who knew about him and kept quiet (just like the teachers at Green Meadow did) because of his "rock star" status.  

UPDATE!
Schwartz has issued a letter of rebuttal:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/waldorf-critics/conversations/messages/27900

Dear Colleagues,
Recently the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America forwarded a summary report from the Green Meadow Waldorf School to your school. That report contained a number of serious allegations against me.
I want to assure you that these allegations are false, and they should never have been disseminated. Based on them, some schools have rushed to judgment about me without seeking to discover the truth.
To address this libel and the defamation of my character, I have retained the services of Janis Law, LLC, of Malvern, PA.  We have submitted a complaint against Green Meadow Waldorf School and against the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, and we will take whatever further action may be needed to resolve this matter.
I appreciate the support from so many of you and look forward to having my name cleared of these baseless allegations.
Sincerely,
Eugene Schwartz

It appears everyone is hiding something.  We know Waldorf schools are predisposed to lie to people.  We know Waldorf teachers are equally predisposed to dishonesty.  I'm hoping we will ALL learn the FULL truth about what has happened here, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

Related posts:

http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2014/08/waldorfs-millennial-child-pornographer.html

http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2014/07/eugene-schwartz-child-pornographer.html

http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2014/07/green-meadow-waldorf-school-sex.html

http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2014/07/green-meadow-waldorf-school-sex-scandal.html

http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2014/07/richard-moeschl-admitted-waldorf-school.html

http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2013/09/httpwww.html

http://thewaldorfreview.blogspot.com/2014/07/highland-hall-waldorf-school-remodeling.html