Advisory Committee for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Education (SMPE)

In line with Hotchkiss's commitment to the safety of students, the School has established an Advisory Committee for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Education. The SMPE Advisory Committee comprises Hotchkiss alumni, representatives from the Board of Trustees, current Hotchkiss faculty, and experts in the field of sexual abuse and prevention.

The Advisory Committee is charged with the following:

  • Providing expertise on current sexual misconduct education, awareness and training practices and to help the School continually evaluate the effectiveness of current programming
  • Helping to identify the types of relationships, residential realities or patterns of behavior unique to a boarding school environment that call for particular awareness of healthy boundaries in order to avoid sexual misconduct
  • Providing historical context and experience with issues of sexual misconduct on campus and to understand and highlight areas of cultural change that could positively or negatively influence the potential for sexual misconduct. As part of this, brainstorm productive ways to incorporate the school's history of sexual abuse into our programming to model transparency, give voice to survivors, and raise moral consciousness around our need to be upstanders within our community and beyond
  • Working with the Office of Communications to create a multifaceted approach to effectively communicate and build confidence in ongoing training, services and support for the prevention of sexual misconduct at Hotchkiss

Special Note

Hotchkiss continues to maintain an absolute commitment to transparency with respect to the investigation of reports of sexual misconduct by members of the faculty or staff that occurred at any time in the School’s history. Anyone wishing to come forward to report abuse by an adult member of the Hotchkiss community is invited to contact the School’s independent investigator, Alison O’Neil, by telephone at (617) 239-0729 or by email at hotchkissinvestigation@lockelord.com