Community upset over high school's handling of teacher accused of grooming LGBT club students
Parents, students and faculty are demanding answers following a private school's handling of accusations against a former English teacher who led an LGBT club, which he allegedly used to target and sexually harass his favorite students.
Members of the University School of Nashville community have called for the removal of certain administrative officials amid objections about how they handled the sexual misconduct allegations.
The community feels the school was not transparent about its investigation into Dean Masullo, an English teacher and the former Gender and Sexuality Alliance faculty club sponsor.
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Over 250 alumni, parents and students have already signed a letter agreeing to withhold financial donations to the school until changes are made, reported The Nashville Scene.
The University School of Nashville did not respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.
In August, attorney Alex Little sent a letter to USN's board of trustees outlining a former student's allegations against the teacher. Little sent the letter because the board did not respond to a request for a meeting.
The former student claimed she was "groomed and sexually harassed" by Masullo. She also alleged that "administrators and lawyers" mistreated her to preserve the school's reputation.
According to the letter, the student took a class with Masullo, and her friends joked that she was the "class favorite." At first, the girl did not notice anything strange about the teacher's treatment of her, but that changed when she turned 18.
In January, the victim started feeling stressed and distant from her parents, and the letter accused Masullo of taking advantage of her state of mind. The teacher encouraged the girl to take an independent study course on modern cinema, which required her to watch movies with Masullo. The teacher also took her to the movies and a Bob Dylan concert in Louisville.
After isolating the teenager from her parents, Masullo's attention toward her escalated to gift-giving and, eventually, touching, according to the letter. The teacher would kiss the girl on the forehead and find other ways to get away with touching her inappropriately.
"He would pick favorite female or gay male students, text them in inappropriate ways, touch and hug them inappropriately, and take students to see movies outside of school and unrelated to school activities," the letter said.
"In nearly every case, the target of his behavior was a female or gay student, often a member of the GSA, and he would attempt to estrange these students from their parents."
Following an incident in April where Masullo forcibly kissed the student and pressed his body against her, she sought help from USN teachers Michael Hansen, Justin Karpinos and Jeff Edmonds.
At first, USN's response seemed promising, but the letter alleged that the school did not communicate further with the victim until it arranged for her to speak with attorney Marie Scott with the Fisher Phillips law firm. The firm represents "employers in labor and employment matters," according to the letter.
While the school dismissed Masullo over the summer following an internal investigation, the Nashville Scene reported parents, students and faculty members have sought answers about the conditions of Masullo's termination.
Unnamed parents who spoke with the outlet said that they fear the school may have paid Masullo a financial settlement and signed a nondisclosure agreement preventing USN Director Amani Reed and other officials from discussing the situation.
"Nothing the school has done over the past few months reflects any awareness that this matter involves something more than an employment issue," Little's letter stated. "And so, when you hire a hammer, that person treats everything like a nail. The so-called independent investigation of Mr. Masullo was, in fact, an investigation to help the school justify firing him and a tool to keep the school out of hot water."
In a Sept. 10 letter to USN's board of trustees, 20 faculty members expressed concern about how the school handled the sexual misconduct allegations, feeling that administrators prioritized the school's reputation. The faculty also felt that the school's investigation did not align with the practices outlined in a 2018 document released by the Independent School Task Force on Educator Sexual Misconduct.
In addition, the faculty members took issue with the school using the term "third-party investigation" when communicating with families and the press. As the staff noted, the school should clarify that it is referring to its legal counsel when using this phrase.
"Transparency and accountability in addressing these issues are critical to rebuilding trust in the governance of our school," the faculty letter stated. "We urge the Board to act swiftly and decisively to restore our confidence in USN's leadership and to ensure that the safety and well-being of all students remain paramount, as the administration repeatedly claims in communications to the community."
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
