Phillips Exeter Academy Investigation Traces Sexual Misconduct Allegations Back to the 1950s

An independent investigation into alleged sexual misconduct at Phillips Exeter Academy examined dozens of reports involving faculty and staff, including allegations dating from the 1950s through the 2010s. The review scrutinized both alleged conduct involving former employees and how the New Hampshire boarding school responded when allegations were reported.

Independent Review Examined Decades of Phillips Exeter Sexual Abuse Allegations

Phillips Exeter Academy retained the law firm Holland & Knight LLP in 2016 to investigate allegations involving current and former employees after reports of historical sexual misconduct received increased public attention.

The sex abuse investigation examined 28 matters, including 26 involving reports of alleged sexual misconduct by faculty or staff toward students. Investigators conducted approximately 294 interviews with more than 170 people while reviewing allegations spanning several generations of Phillips Exeter students.

The review went beyond determining what allegedly happened between individual employees and students. Investigators also examined how allegations were documented, communicated within the school, investigated, and reported to outside authorities.

Former Phillips Exeter Employees Named in Sexual Misconduct Reports

The investigation into historical sexual abuse at Phillips Exeter Academy addressed allegations involving several former school employees, including longtime teachers who had worked at the school for decades. Former history and anthropology teacher Donald Foster was among those identified. Foster worked at Phillips Exeter from 1973 until retiring in 2011. Investigators reviewed allegations involving three former students, including reports that Foster allegedly pinned students against a wall and forcibly kissed them. Phillips Exeter later revoked Foster’s emeritus status and barred him from campus.

The investigation also examined allegations involving former art department employee Steve Lewis, who worked at Phillips Exeter from 1983 until his employment was terminated in 2016. The allegations included an alleged sexual relationship with a student during the 1980s and sexualized photo shoots involving female students. According to the investigation, Lewis admitted to Exeter police that he had kissed a student multiple times while she was enrolled and had a sexual encounter with her after she graduated.

Investigators Identified Problems With How Abuse Allegations Were Handled

Another focus of the independent investigation was how Phillips Exeter historically responded after receiving reports of alleged misconduct. Investigators identified problems involving the school’s response to and investigation of some reports, internal communication, and reporting of alleged misconduct to appropriate authorities. 

The review found that sensitive information concerning alleged misconduct was sometimes stored separately from an employee’s regular personnel file. Those practices raised questions about whether administrators and Human Resources personnel had access to complete information when making decisions involving employees accused of misconduct. 

Investigators also scrutinized how Phillips Exeter responded when students came forward with allegations of misconduct. The review examined whether school officials recognized warning signs, properly investigated reports, took steps to prevent accused employees from having continued access to students, and notified authorities when required.

Former Teacher Sentenced to Prison for Sexually Assaulting Student

Separate from the Holland & Knight investigation into historical allegations involving other employees, former Phillips Exeter math teacher Szczesny Jerzy Kaminski was recently prosecuted for sexually assaulting a student. Kaminski taught at Phillips Exeter for nearly 30 years, until he was fired in 2020. In 2023, he was sentenced to at least 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to sexually assaulting a female student over the course of several years. The former student reportedly enrolled at Phillips Exeter in 2013 at age 13, and prosecutors say the sexual assault began the following year and continued through 2016. 

New Hampshire Law May Affect Historical Sexual Abuse Claims

Many of the allegations of sexual abuse at Phillips Exeter Academy date back decades, making the amount of time survivors may have to pursue civil claims an important legal issue. In 2020, New Hampshire eliminated the statute of limitations for certain civil claims based on sexual assault. Under current law, individuals alleging certain sexual assault or incest offenses may bring a personal action at any time.

However, the New Hampshire Supreme Court has ruled that the 2020 change does not revive sexual assault claims that were already time-barred under the previous statute of limitations before the new law took effect. Whether a former Phillips Exeter student can pursue a lawsuit therefore depends on the circumstances of the individual claim, including when the alleged abuse occurred, the applicable filing deadline, the legal claims being pursued, and the parties that may allegedly be responsible.

Investigation Continues to Shape Scrutiny of Institutional Response

The Phillips Exeter investigation brought together sex abuse allegations spanning more than half a century, providing a broader account of alleged sexual misconduct involving former employees and the school’s handling of reports over time. The review also highlighted the importance of examining an institution’s response when allegations involve adults entrusted with the care and supervision of students.

Phillips Exeter is not the only educational institution to face scrutiny over allegations of sexual abuse. Other schools and youth-serving institutions, including Choate Rosemary Hall and Interlochen Center for the Arts, have faced allegations of sexual misconduct involving faculty or staff. Reports involving these institutions have contributed to broader concerns about institutional accountability and the responsibility of schools to provide a safe environment for students.