Responding to Reports of Sexual Misconduct

Any report of inappropriate behavior or conduct involving current employees is to be shared with the Head of School who will conduct a thorough review of the information and respond accordingly. Possible actions include, but are not limited to, mandatory reporting to designated Maryland law enforcement and child protective service entities, as appropriate.

Additionally, individuals can call Praesidium’s Helpline to discuss suspicious or inappropriate behaviors between adults and students or suspected abuse (adult-to-student or student-to-student). This helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 866.607.SAFE (7233). Calling this helpline does not relieve an individual’s mandated child abuse reporting obligation to state authorities. Praesidium is a national firm specializing in the prevention of child sexual abuse and employee misconduct training hired by Key School to support its employees.

Resources for Parents & Guardians

Below are resources, compiled by Key’s counselors, to support parents in talking with children about healthy relationships, appropriate and inappropriate interactions, sexual misconduct, and advocating for one’s self and safety.

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
Darkness to Light

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)

Darkness to Light

A non-profit organization committed to empowering adults to prevent child sexual abuse, Darkness to Light provides resources to help prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Information includes how to help parents talk to children about safety from sexual abuse, body safety, digital safety, and events in the news. There are tips for hiring caregivers and a discussion about healthy sexual development.

Letters to the Community

Partnering with RAINN

At its March retreat, Key's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to formally engage with RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, to guide the School in its next crucial steps to support Key alumni/ae/x. With more than 25 years of experience supporting survivors and providing programming to prevent sexual violence, RAINN is widely recognized as the leader in this field.

Under the guidance of RAINN, Key School has established an alumni/ae/x therapy fund and hosted two listening sessions for alumni/ae/x, facilitated by staff from RAINN, on Saturday, June 22, 2019.

Alumni/ae/x Listening Sessions - Saturday, June 22, 2019
Alumni/ae/x Therapy Fund

Alumni/ae/x Listening Sessions - Saturday, June 22, 2019

Staff from RAINN will hold alumni/ae/x listening sessions at Key on Saturday, June 22 in the library of the Science and Library Center (Building 9 on the Campus Map). With 25 years of experience providing victim-centered and trauma-informed support services, RAINN will facilitate two different conversations with the goal of continuing the community healing process through open communication.

From 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. RAINN will hold a listening session with only alumni/ae/x present.

The focus of this session is to understand alumni/ae/x concerns, current thoughts, and the ways in which Key School can help facilitate the healing process.
Anonymous feedback from this session will be shared with the Head of School and Board of Trustees President by RAINN facilitators.

From 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. RAINN will facilitate a conversation with alumni/ae/x, Head of School Matthew Nespole and Board of Trustees President Joe Janney to answer questions related to sexual misconduct.

RAINN has created an alumni/ae/x survey to give individuals the opportunity to provide feedback and questions for the administration to address during the listening sessions. The survey is anonymous and confidential and RAINN will only provide us with an overview of topics to address.

In order for Key to determine the best campus location for each listening session and to ensure ample refreshments, the School is asking alumni/ae/x to anonymously RSVP (number of attendees only) by June 14, 2019.

During the listening sessions, RAINN facilitators will not be discussing specific incidents; however, if an alum would like to speak about their experience, RAINN staff will hold one-on-one sessions after each of the group listening sessions.

Alumni/ae/x Therapy Fund

RAINN will assist alumni/ae/x who wish to access the Alumni/ae/x Therapy Fund which has been established by Key's Board of Trustees to support alumni/ae/x in paying for current therapy needed because of adult sexual misconduct experienced during their time at Key, whether or not they wish to make a formal report of that misconduct.

The Therapy Fund will cover individual out of pocket expenses for approved therapies including behavioral, cognitive, expressive, humanistic, integrative/holistic, psychoanalysis, or psychodynamic.

Providers must be licensed to practice in their state and must hold a Master's Degree or higher in their health discipline. Medication management prescribed by licensed providers can qualify for reimbursement.

While commitments to the Alumni/ae/x Therapy Fund were initially to be reviewed annually, in January 2020 Key's Board of Trustees decided the Therapy Fund will remain available to alumni/ae/x indefinitely.

Alumni/ae/x who wish to access the Alumni/ae/x Therapy Fund, or learn more about it, can call RAINN's Key School Hotline at (866) 215-6935 beginning Monday, June 3, 2019.

RAINN's Key School Hotline will be available from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, except federal holidays and closures.
Callers will be asked to confirm they are Key alumni/ae/x and will then be guided through the intake process by RAINN.
To maintain alumni/ae/x confidentiality, RAINN will refer callers to a third-party administrator it has identified for Key School to work through for payment of current therapy bills.
All inquiries and funding requests are anonymous to Key.

In Key's efforts to fully cooperate with the Anne Arundel Police in their ongoing investigation, we ask anyone with additional information to contact Detective Phelan at 410-222-4700.