Choate Rosemary Hall Investigation Revealed Decades of Alleged Sexual Abuse at Boarding School

An independent investigation commissioned by Choate Rosemary Hall found that former students reported decades of alleged sexual abuse and misconduct involving former faculty members at the prestigious Connecticut boarding school. The findings, released in a 2017 investigative report, identified 12 former teachers who were allegedly connected to sexual misconduct dating back to the 1960s and prompted renewed scrutiny of the school’s historical response to allegations of abuse.

Independent Investigation Examined Historical Abuse Allegations

Choate Rosemary Hall, a private college preparatory boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, commissioned an independent investigation after asking alumni in 2014 to report any experiences involving alleged sexual abuse or inappropriate conduct by faculty members. The outreach came amid increased public attention to abuse allegations at other New England schools.

According to the investigation, at least 24 former students came forward with allegations involving 12 former teachers, including claims of inappropriate touching, sexual relationships, and coercion. Investigators reviewed those reports before issuing their findings in a comprehensive report to the Board of Trustees of Choate Rosemary Hall in April 2017.

The report concluded that allegations of sexual misconduct involving former faculty members and students extended across several decades, highlighting inappropriate sexual behavior that allegedly occurred from the 1960s through the early 2000s, and raised questions about the school’s handling of sex abuse complaints.

Sex Abuse Report Identified 12 Former Faculty Members

The independent investigation identified 12 former faculty members who were allegedly connected to sexual misconduct involving students. According to the report, the allegations included inappropriate touching, sexual relationships between teachers and students, coercive conduct, and other forms of alleged sexual misconduct. Several of the individuals identified in the report were no longer living when the investigation was completed. Others denied the allegations or disputed the findings through legal counsel.

Among those named were former Choate Rosemary Hall English teacher Frederic Lyman, former English teacher and soccer coach Watson Lowery, former Latin and mathematics teacher Adam Hardej, and longtime faculty member William Cobbett. The report also examined how school administrators responded after allegations involving some faculty members were brought to their attention, detailing instances where accused faculty were allowed to quietly retire or avoided being reported to law enforcement. 

Timeline Highlights the Boarding School’s Response to Sex Abuse Allegations

The report outlines several key developments leading to the publication of the investigation.

• In 2014, Choate Rosemary Hall invited alumni to share information regarding alleged sexual abuse or inappropriate sexual conduct involving faculty members. Former students responded with accounts describing alleged misconduct dating back decades.
• Following a nearly three-year investigation, Choate released the independent report in April 2017. The report documented allegations involving 12 former faculty members and concluded that patterns of alleged misconduct persisted over many years.
• In 2022, the school announced that teacher Julie Oxborough-Yankus had been terminated following a separate third-party investigation that found evidence supporting allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior involving at least two students. Choate also stated that it notified state and local authorities regarding the allegations.

Questions Raised About Institutional Oversight

Beyond documenting allegations against individual faculty members, the sex abuse investigation examined how Choate Rosemary Hall responded after complaints of alleged misconduct were reported by students and parents.

According to the report, some former students alleged that their complaints were not adequately addressed or that faculty members were permitted to resign without law enforcement being notified. The findings raised broader questions about institutional oversight, reporting practices, and whether additional steps could have been taken to protect students.

The report also acknowledged that the passage of time complicated efforts to investigate some allegations, as many of the individuals involved had retired, died, or left the institution years before the investigation began.

Choate Rosemary Hall Publicly Acknowledged Past Failures

Following the release of the investigation, Choate Rosemary Hall publicly acknowledged that mistakes had been made in its historical handling of abuse allegations.

In a statement to the school community, Choate apologized to survivors and recognized that some allegations were not properly reported to law enforcement. School officials stated that the conduct described in the report represented a violation of the trust placed in adults responsible for students’ care.

The boarding school also indicated that it had implemented policy changes and strengthened safeguarding measures intended to better protect current and future students.

Report Highlights Ongoing Concerns About Institutional Abuse

The findings from the Choate Rosemary Hall sex abuse investigation underscore broader concerns about institutional abuse in educational settings. As schools and other organizations continue to examine their past handling of abuse allegations, investigations like this one highlight the importance of accountability, transparency, and policies designed to protect students from harm.