RND Whereabouts

We have learned that RND taught at Nobles from the fall of 1972 until sometime midwat into the 1973 school year. He apparently left abruptly.

Get the word out

I've heard from another classmate from the 7th grade and appreciate her words of support. It is terrific to hear from friends from so long ago. In my mind's eye, I see the kids we were and at the same time know that 40+ years have flowed under the bridge, taking us to parenthood, perhaps grand-parenthood.

So, here we are telling a 40+ year old story. Why go back so far?

This is really the last step in my healing and recovery. While it's had a huge impact on my life, I have been fortunate enough to avoid hugely self destructive inclinations, have had great support and, best of all, dwell in a great marriage and have two remarkable daughters. But walking away, healed, without finding the others doesn't feel right. It would forever be a huge loose end. Hence this effort.

Please circulate this link around. Push it to people who might know something of RND's employment history and travels. If you suspect someone was a victim, let them know about this page. Have them get in touch with me.

Let's see if we can find more of the others, perhaps get them some help and let RND understand that, even after decades of time, we are not the only ones to pay a price.

First response

I heard from a Park classmate on Saturday in response to the letter from the school. She called me out of the blue (or the mists of time) to say, even at 11, she was convinced something was "not right" about RND. She added two more names to my mental count of those others possibly assaulted by RND, one of whom was at Park and the other at Dexter. And she had suspicions of several others including, perhaps, a girl. I've been hoping to hear of no more names. Not all hopes are answered.

Update

I spoke with Jerry Katz yesterday. He'd received four or five calls from others who were part of the Park community back when RND was working there. Fortunately, none of them reported having been victimized but many did say they remember something "not quite right" about the guy.

Where was he?

If you have any information about where RND worked and lived between 1966 and 1974, please let us know. We do know he taught at Nobles and Brimmer & May in the late Sixties and also at the Indian Mountain School sometime during that period. But some of the details are fuzzy. Your help in generating clarity would be most welcome.

The statute of limitations for aggravated sexual assault and battery - the crime for which RND would be charged now - during the mid-Sixties was six years. Once the perpetrator leaves the state, however, that clock stops. If it can be shown that RND had left Massachusetts within six years, then the authorities can proceed. While they are conducting their own investigation now, any information you may have would be most welcome.

and Jerry Katz's response to David's letter

David,

Thank you for getting in touch with me.

I want to apologize on behalf of Park School for your experiences with R. Neville Davis.

I really appreciate your thoughtful words in response to my recent letter to other alumni/ae from this era.

With great respect, Jerry Katz

Jerrold I. Katz

Head, Park School

171 Goddard Ave.

Brookline, MA 02445

617-277-2456

jerry_katz@parkschool.org

from David Merrill to Jerry Katz of Park School

Jerry Katz

Headmaster

Park School

Dear Jerry Katz,

I want to thank you for your robust response to George Peabody’s raising of the issue of Mr. Davis’s sexual abuse of Park School Students in the ‘60s. I thought your immediate respect for what he had to say and your immediate move to action is to your credit. I was most touched.

I was a classmate of George’s and also a victim of Davis. I largely share George’s current approach to the matter and am happy to have my name associated with his when the school deals with this topic. I can still remember specific instances involving Davis’s sexual advances both on the School premises, at this home and elsewhere. They all took place during my sixth grade year when he was my class room teacher However this is not the time to go into them. The point is that I am also a source of evidence of what Davis got up to.

I do want to say though that my overall feelings for Park are positive in fact better than for the school I attended afterwards, B&N. There were a number of features that made your school an attractive place when I attended it which had to do with the time, its smallness and a certain degree of experimentalism.

My message is though that I wanted to say that I was very impressed with how you reacted to George’s approaches. Also I should say I salute George for taking up this matter and keeping at it. Perhaps his efforts along with yours as well as the new sensibility reigning today about such matters will stop a repetition of such behaviour as Davis’s in the future.

Best wishes,

David Merrill

Here we go

I've just read a draft of Jerry Katz's letter to Park alums. I am grateful to him and the Park board of directors for their support and candor. It is great to see that they are offering counseling to any other Park student affected by RND. How I hope no one else comes forward from Park. Three was enough.