Senior School classes canceled after incident at Sewickley Academy administrative offices

Classes at the Sewickley Academy Senior School were canceled Friday following a day of chaos at the school.

Police were called to the private school in Edgeworth Thursday after a student group called CARES – Collective Action for Representative Education at Sewickley – and several parents attempted to meet with officials about a student-driven petition and other concerns.

Parent Susan Cox was there with her husband, Mark. She said they went to the academy in response to messages from their daughter.

Cox said some students were berated by assistant Head of School Ken Goleski, and that Head of School Ashley Birtwell hid from the group when they just wanted to talk.

“It was so disturbing, it was traumatic for the kids,” Cox said. “We were all in a state of shock and disbelief, but quite frankly we shouldn’t have been … They’ve been systematically getting rid of teachers whose views don’t align with theirs. It’s really been upsetting to kids, on top of kids not being listened to.”

Edgeworth police Chief John Burlett said officers were dispatched around 11:35 a.m. to ensure students, parents and faculty were safe.

“No enforcement action was necessary and the situation ended peacefully,” Burlett said.

In a letter released late Thursday night, Birtwell said the group of 25-30 people that came to her office Thursday “refused to cooperate, and their disorderly conduct escalated. As a precaution, police were called to maintain order and ensure everyone’s safety.”

Birtwell’s letter also said that Thursday’s events were related to several faculty members planning a non-mandatory presentation focused on the concept of critical race theory, which was scheduled to take place at lunchtime. Birtwell said she requested that the session be postponed.

“To that end, rather than proceed with the opt-in, we asked the faculty members to, instead, work with us to present the topic in a time and manner that has the support from our board, our parents, the (diversity, equity and inclusion) consulting firm with which we’re working, and our DEI Task Force,” Birtwell wrote. “Unfortunately, these faculty members denied the board’s and my requests.”

Cox said things have been going downhill at the academy since the departure of former head of school Kolia O’Connor and the departure of multiple administrators last year.

The positions included Head of Lower School Ryan Baxter; Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Social Justice & Service Learning LaVern Burton; Head of Senior School Peter Lau; Director of Teaching & Learning Ben Scoville; Director of Admissions & Financial Aid Douglas Leek; and fifth-grade teacher Brandi Lawrence.

The petition presented by students asks, among its requests:

• That the school conduct a widespread national search for a permanent Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity and Social Justice Director, as recommended by the school’s DEI task force.

• That the board of trustees hosts monthly meetings open to students, teachers and parents.

• The removal of restrictions on free speech off-campus that is critical of the school or “that damages the reputation of the school,” a reference to a line in the 2021-‘22 Sewickley Academy Student & Family Handbook.

• That teachers “must be allowed to share any personal information at their will.”

• That students must be allowed to bring an advocate of their choice (a parent, teacher, etc.) when required to meet with the administration.

The Academy released a statement about the incident:

“Please know that at Sewickley Academy, we have always encouraged our community to voice their ideas and help take our learning to new heights. However, such initiatives must be done in a constructive and inclusive manner. For this reason, we are extremely saddened by the recent events at the Academy and members of our community’s choice to voice their opinions in an unproductive manner that has also turned our once safe space into one that feels anything but that. This is not in line with our core values and is counterproductive as we look to build a better Academy for the future.”