Dear Mr. and Mrs. Trump,
I write, regretfully, to inform you that Donald will not graduate with his classmates next week and may not re-enroll.
As you know, we expressed concerns about Donald at the time of admission last year and informed you that his enrollment was probationary. He promised that he would behave “like a real student” if given the opportunity. In fact, he said he would be “more like student-like” than any student we’d ever enrolled. Sadly, this has not been the case.
We learned recently that Donald’s application for admission had been partially completed by another party. Our policy is clear: “No applicant may be assisted by an outside party during the admission process.” Our investigation revealed that hundreds of false derogatory reports were posted on Facebook pages of other applicants, including a young woman who was denied admission despite having far superior credentials. We deeply regret that she was not admitted.
Since the beginning of the term, Donald has been absent 114 days. He claimed to be doing “school work” at his second home in Florida, but was sighted on the nearby golf course most of these days. One member of the golf club recalls seeing him at least three days a week. “How could I forget him?” he said. “He hit five drives on the par 4 second hole, then yelled, “Birdie!” after he three-putted.”
When in school, Donald’s presence has been disruptive. During a gym class, he referred to one young woman as a “fat pig.” We suspect Donald may be overly sensitive about his own weight. This is not unusual in adolescence and perhaps Donald will achieve a more optimal BMI as he matures.
He often walks through the halls claiming that the “good lookers” are staring at him. This overcompensating behavior is often observed in boys who are struggling with their own sexual identity.
Donald seems uncomfortable with the school’s diversity. On May 5 we had a Mexican lunch theme in the cafeteria. Donald told classmates, “They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some, I assume, make good tacos. That I can tell you.” During a history class on the Third Reich, a student reported that Donald muttered under his breath, “Some of them were fine people.”
Rather than supporting his classmates and furthering the mission of our school, Donald has used his time here to enrich himself. For example, he browbeat a classmate into representing himself as manager of the football team and sent invoices to players’ parents asking for payment of $500 for team uniforms. We do not tolerate “pay to play,” as all students must have equal access to our programs. Donald has referred to our tuition assistance recipients as “deadbeats,” despite being several semesters in arrears on his own tuition payments.
Perhaps most alarming is Donald’s behavior with his female classmates. Several young women have come forward to accuse Donald of sexual misconduct. While these incidents are still under review, there is evidence that supports the accusers. He boasted to one classmate that he could do whatever he wants to young women. “Grab ’em by the p—-. You can do anything,” Donald said on a videotape made by a student reporter who was filming for our website. He denies these accusations, saying his comments were just “locker room talk.” This seems odd, since Donald has never been in the locker room, as he apparently believes exercise is pointless.
Even in light of our concerns about his absences and his social behavior, we might have given Donald another chance if his academic performance had been satisfactory, but his work has not met the minimum standards for graduation. His teachers report that he has never taken a textbook home and appears to have read none of his assignments. He has submitted some written work, but it is generally unrelated to his class assignments and far too short to be acceptable. His early work was never more than 140 characters. In recent months he has expanded his essays to 280 characters, but the content has not improved. His spelling and grammar are more typical of a lower- or middle-school student. He seems to have a fascination with capital letters. Our school psychologist suggests that this is often a sign of deep sexual insecurity.
As we approached the end of the term, Donald became aware of our concerns. Rather than facing these issues honestly, and engaging in productive self-reflection, Donald attempted to undermine the administration. I was surprised, to say the least, to learn that he asked the deputy head of school to initiate an investigation of me! Just the day before, Donald came to my office to insist that I fire the deputy head of school.
These various behaviors, particularly the attempts to obstruct our disciplinary processes, lead us to conclude that Donald thinks he is exempt from our authority and may do what he wants with impunity.
Not on my watch.
Sincerely,
Steven J. Nelson
Head of School
Steve Nelson lives in Boulder, Colo., and Sharon. Email him at stevehutnelson@ gmail.com.