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U.S. NEWS Saturday 1 July 2017

Sex misconduct revisits elite prep school already under fire

that requires him to register people are being harmed “Very painful for our family
as a sex offender for life. because of the students’ ir- to learn sexual assault and
Although sentenced to a responsible and damaging sex competition continue
year in jail, the 21-year-old actions and the administra- at SPS despite what was
Labrie has remained free tion’s inaction. When will exposed during the senior
under curfew while he ap- school administrators and salute criminal trial. Girls as
peals his convictions. He trustees show real leader- conquest targets, not hu-
was 18 at the time of the ship that truly puts the well- man beings.... what is go-
assault. being of students ahead of ing on?” Alexander Prout
“St. Paul’s School is oper- their own reputation?” wrote.
ating in a bubble of de- Prout’s father, who is also The AP typically doesn’t
nial, and their students are a graduate of the school, identify victims of sexual
paying the consequenc- reacted to the latest alle- assault unless they come
es,” Prout told the AP in a gations Thursday on Face- forward publicly, as Chessy
statement Friday. “Real book. Prout has done.q

This Feb. 26, 2016 photo, shows the entrance to St. Paul’s School
in Concord, N.H. New Hampshire police say they’ve learned of
a new game of sexual conquest at the elite prep school where
a student was charged in 2014 over a game called the “Senior
Salute.” The Concord Monitor reported Friday, June 30, 2017,
that boys in a St. Paul’s School dorm apparently competed to
have their names put on a crown. The school said Friday that
it’s investigating “improper behavior” by students, but it didn’t
elaborate.
(AP Photo/Jim Cole)
By HOLLY RAMER gating a report of a sexual
Associated Press assault on campus involv-
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — An ing students. But police said
elite New Hampshire prep the competition wasn’t
school is facing new reve- linked to their ongoing in-
lations about another com- vestigation at the school.
petition of sexual conquest “If that conquest game is
two years after a student existing at St. Paul’s or any-
was convicted of sexually where, it’s extremely alarm-
assaulting a freshman as ing to us,” said Lt. Sean
part of a tradition called Ford. “I would assume the
“Senior Salute.” school would be vigilant
Eight boys in a St. Paul’s in monitoring of that con-
School dorm in Concord cerning behavior if it is go-
apparently competed to ing on.”
have their names put on The allegations appear
a crown, according to the similar to those in the case
Concord Monitor, which of Owen Labrie, prompting
first reported on the matter. criticism that the school’s
The school it learned about efforts to change the cul-
the game from students ture at St. Paul’s have fallen
just before the June 4 com- short.
mencement and has hired Labrie, of Tunbridge, Ver-
an outside investigator. mont, was acquitted in
“Kids will be disciplined in a 2015 of raping a 15-year-
swift and appropriate way old classmate, Chessy
should that investigation Prout, the previous year as
find any violation of our part of the Senior Salute, in
code of conduct. We take which boys competed to
these things very seriously,” take the virginity of younger
Rector Michael Hirschfeld girls before getting their di-
told The Associated Press plomas. He was convicted
on Friday. of misdemeanor sexual as-
Concord police said they sault, child endangerment
learned of the conquest and using a computer to
competition while investi- lure the girl for sex, a felony