Dear Ellington Community,
As we have previously shared, the local NBC4 affiliate has continued its investigative report concerning allegations of sexual misconduct against a former staff member, Mark Williams. More information is coming to light because of these segments, and we fully support that process. We also continue to offer our sympathy to the victims and parties impacted.
Given the sensitive subject matter, we want to provide advance notice to our students, parents, guardians, and community members of these potentially disturbing reports, and share how we are supporting our students and alumni. As always, our Wellness Team is committed to supporting all students and staff and will make themselves available to any individual needing assistance.
We have been informed that tomorrow’s NBC4 news segment will feature former faculty members who will share their understanding of the events that transpired. We fully support free speech and encourage everyone in the community to share what they may remember concerning these events, with the objective being to ensure we prevent them from occurring in the future.
Since the transition of leadership in the school year 2017-2018, any allegation of sexual misconduct that has been reported or brought to the attention of the Principal has resulted in the suspension of the involved faculty member pending an investigation and has been reported to the proper authorities. The current school administration has and will continue to, act swiftly and transparently to report those allegations to the MPD and DC Public Schools whenever allegations of this nature arise.
MPD has renewed its active investigation which may limit what the school is permitted to share concerning the allegations and details of the investigation. We will continue to provide all information that is requested of us and relevant to the investigation to the appropriate authorities. To date, that information has included the names of students that are possible victims or witnesses, and all tips we have received from students, both current and former, who may have pertinent information.
Sincerely,
Duke Ellington School of the Arts Project