While I fully condemn any abusive actions at ANY program… let us remember that Onstage is not a news facility. When I read the article it sounded more like they were reporting on rumors than facts… It also sounds like the university is taking the issue seriously, and working to find facts and take steps where needed.
Reading the original facebook post (and accompanying horrifying comments by other students/alum), I notice there is at least one upcoming student who is choosing to withdraw and take a gap year rather than attend. Can’t help but wonder if that’s a CC parent?
I applaud the young woman and all others who have shared their experiences about the systematic racism and abuses in this program. Unfortunately all too familiar to POCs not just there but PA high school environments too.
Onstage is a blog with questionable opinions. The guy who runs it has a degree in theatre but has never had a career. He loves to gossip and likes to stir up drama. If this all really happened, it is horrible and must be addressed. However, I think we need more info from actual sources and reputable writers to truly know what happened. Backstage, Playbill, and Broadway World are all way more credible than the On Stage Blog.
@MTDad2 please read the actual sources - starting with the young woman’s Facebook post and all the comments (link in the article).
@MTDad2- Roosevelt has put out notice that they are investigating S.K. due to the large amounts of accusations that have surfaced against him. That is source enough.
My son and I visited this program and loved it. Until these recent allegations, I’ve heard nothing but good things about CCPA. I hope CCPA uses this “scandal” as an opportunity to improve and grow.
My son is a rising MTD and SK has been removed and the school is in the process of many changes. He is very excited to start in the fall.
@MTmom19 Thank you for sharing this. CCPA remains at the top of my son’s list.
We have chosen to remove CCPA from our list due to the tales of psychological stress and other behaviors straddling the line of appropriate that have emerged in the wake of these allegations. It’s too bad because there are several selling points of the location and curriculum. The inordinate focus on getting in does not necessarily allow us to focus on the quality of the program and experience. Caveat emptor.
That’s completely reasonable @MTisNutz - you need to make the best decision you can for your performer. That said, both of the CCPA students from our CC Class of 2022 MT board are very happily returning for their sophomore year. I would take the negative tales quite seriously but also with a grain of salt - as always in this world, YMMV. My D almost eliminated the school she attends from her list due to negative comments from a voice teacher and a former student there. She didn’t (TG) and it’s been an amazing fit for her.
Great point, @MTisNutz, about the focus on “getting in” blurring focus on program and experience. Caveat emptor, indeed. And thank you @CAMom13 for your story about your daughter’s school. These are such big decisions that sometimes one offhand comment or bad CC post can really throw you off when considering schools, so it’s great to hear when something works out regardless of such an occurrence.
Having said that, I’d suggest that all parents, not just those with CCPA on their list, consider going to the Facebook page linked to in the Onstage blog and reading through all the comments, all the way to the end. While I get that we need to consider grain of salt and YMMV, it’s clear many people suffered, and most aren’t making anonymous allegations, but telling their own stories, attached to their own names.
Call me naive, but this was a shocking eye opener for me. And the reason I’d suggest it is worth reading for all, is that while I’d like to hope it’s one isolated situation that is now being addressed, I suspect it would also be naive not to acknowledge the possibility that similar incidents might occur at other schools, in the past or future.
I’m loathe to tell anyone else how to parent, but to me, the lesson from all this is that regardless of where your child is applying, it might be wise to have a frank discussion with them as to what is and isn’t acceptable behavior by faculty (or actually, by anyone), in a college situation. I think many kids head off to college with it ringing in their ears that it’s time to grow up, that things will be different, they’ll be expected to behave like adults, etc. But from the allegations on the Facebook page, it appears that the accused person (now removed) took advantage of the confusion all this change might create in a young mind to seriously blur the line in what was appropriate behavior between student and teacher.
I think due diligence aside, the one thing we can do is to remind our kids that no matter where they end up, their standards for how they are treated should remain the same. If something makes you feel uncomfortable, it probably does so for a reason, and behavior deemed inappropriate at high school, or in a workplace, is also just not acceptable in college. And by this, I don’t just mean sexual harassment, but also bullying, belittling, sidelining, or any other number of things that would make any of us adults say “Oh, hell no!” should they happen to us. Hopefully, 99% of the time, and in 99% of schools, they’ll never have to think about it, but they need to know how to deal with the other 1%.
Fabulous post @Goggleson. There was a similarly shocking situation with OU last year and it’s clear that situations in which arts students are abused or harassed by authority figures is not uncommon and is not confined to any one school. And, as with many situations in which those without power get abused by those in power, the truth rarely comes out quickly and evidence is often ignored until there’s a crisis. I think it’s critical that we as parents teach our children to be aware, watch out and speak out - both for themselves AND other people. There’s a complicity in silence; an organization can only keep seriously abusive practices or personnel on because they don’t “hear” about them. Kudos to those brave enough to stand up and speak up.