hyde is great

[Anonymous]

Ed Legg was one cold fish in my book. Remorseless, relentless. And really obsessed with prurient sins. I am not gay, but I can remember thinking -- during the countless school meetings where he pontificated at length about this subject -- that surely there were greater so-called evils to be concerned about. I can't remember whether he used the word "abomination" or not, but his message was certainly in keeping with that. I do remember him saying homosexuality was "unnatural" and indicative that of not dealing honestly with one's self, and some things far more extreme that I should probably not put into print.

  Funny, I don't remember the anti Gay rants from Ed.  I remember it from Joe.  I can vaguely remember him reading a story from a student about how they rejected gayness though charater growth.
 I can remember a sermon from Ed on bob dylan.  Ed felt that when dylan went electric he turned his back on comittment to social change and became self indulgent.. "And that is what is wrong with some of you ........."  I always thought Ed was full of shit. Songs like Subtreanian Homesick Blues and Maggies Farm were hard hitting social commentatry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bringing_It_All_Back_Home
I must say I was pleased when I heard the hard code cover of Maggie's Farm by Rage Against the Machine coming from my son's room.  I knew I had raised him right.

Emil Nightrate

[Anonymous]

Ed Legg was one cold fish in my book. Remorseless, relentless. And really obsessed with prurient sins. I am not gay, but I can remember thinking -- during the countless school meetings where he pontificated at length about this subject -- that surely there were greater so-called evils to be concerned about. I can't remember whether he used the word "abomination" or not, but his message was certainly in keeping with that. I do remember him saying homosexuality was "unnatural" and indicative that of not dealing honestly with one's self, and some things far more extreme that I should probably not put into print.

  Funny, I don't remember the anti Gay rants from Ed.  I remember it from Joe.  I can vaguely remember him reading a story from a student about how they rejected gayness though charater growth.
 I can remember a sermon from Ed on bob dylan.  Ed felt that when dylan went electric he turned his back on comittment to social change and became self indulgent.. "And that is what is wrong with some of you ........."  I always thought Ed was full of shit. Songs like Subtreanian Homesick Blues and Maggies Farm were hard hitting social commentatry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bringing_It_All_Back_Home
I must say I was pleased when I heard the hard code cover of Maggie's Farm by Rage Against the Machine coming from my son's room.  I knew I had raised him right.

Emil Nightrate

 :tup:  :tup:  for Maggie's Farm!

Have to stick to my contention, however, re. Ed's rants against "unnatural acts"...  No mistaking his drawl in my memory!  ::soapbox::

[Anonymous]

What really amazes me is how the school hires all these young faculty who quickly end up leading FLCs and other group discussions that are like therapy sessions.  How can this school justify putting these novices into those situations, especially when parents and students end up talking about the most amazingly sensitive family stuff imaginable?

The key here being "like" therapy sessions. A conversation with a friend can be "like" a therapy session, but there are differences. Sometimes thoses conversations can get out of control and that's when they have to be directed elsewhere or outside professional help suggested. I've been through a couple of FLCs and while they sometimes went into very deep, personal issues, those discussions were entered into voluntarily and were appropriately guided by the facilitator. I can't say that I experienced "traumatic" situations as some have alluded to, but I'm not discounting the experiences of others.

I did not disclose my personal issues voluntarily.  I am not disputing what your experience was, but I did many more FLC's then the "couple" of ones you say you did. My experience in those FLC's, was that the parents and kids were very much pressured into opening up even when they didn't want to.  The other students and parents in the FLC's along with the facilitator sometimes would belittle a person in order to get them to spill their guts.  One time a woman stood up for the allowed time and didn't want to say anything.  She was obviously very troubled about something in her life.  The facilitator humiliated this woman in front of everyone until she ended up crying.  This was a great feat in the facilitators cap.  You could tell she was very proud of herself when she broke this woman down.  The woman still would not divulge the family secret she had inside of her.  The facilitator badgered and badgered her the entire weekend.  I understand she pulled her child out of Hyde shortly after.

This to me is not a sufficient way of helping a person deal with their issues.  What kind of training and education do these former students and parents have when they take on the role to facilitate a group session?  Do they know what to do in an emergency situation? To me this seems like very dangerous territory.

I am glad that you did not experience "traumatic" results.  You are  of the lucky ones.  I don't want to be "lucky" with my child.  I want to know he is getting the best care possible when I pay $35,000++ to get him a "character education."

I personally think these people at Hyde are the ones who need the group sessions with a good therapist because they seem to be nuts! They are stuck in a place for many years where they don't grow and yet they are trying to dispense therapy???  This seems crazy.

Ditto! I couldn't have said it better myself!  I felt that Hyde was a toxic place. I observed the same negativity at Hyde that others are talking about on this board.  

Thx to whoever started this board.

I too am reassured to know about this board.  It's very helpful to read the comments of other parents whose Hyde experiences matched my own in that they were very terribly painful and harmful.  Some of my worst experiences at Hyde were in seminars and FLC's.  Although some of the discussions were useful, I can't help but remember a number of horrific incidents where staff and other parents (especially alumni parents) berated both students and their parents for not "digging deep enough," and not exposing their personal secrets and dirty laundry.  Several times I saw students and parents fall apart in those meetings.  I even heard a couple of the participants talk about suicide because of their despair.  What worries me the most about Hyde is that many of the staff and alumni parents act like therapists when they clearly don't have a clue about what good therapy is all about.  Some of what happens in those seminars and FLC's is sadistic and incredibly amateurish, yet it's done in the name of Hyde's peculiar and mean-spirited form of character education.  I know of many parents who felt duped by Hyde; they discovered too late in the game what the school is about.  For financial reasons these parents felt obligated to finish out the year and then quickly look for healthier schools.

I am a parent who had a very bad experience at Hyde Schools.  I hope that by telling my story I can save someone else from the pain and anguish I went through.

While attending a Family Weekend on campus with my wife, I participated in seminars run by the same unqualified, uneducated facilitators that people are speaking about on this site.

I have had some trauma in my life that I seldom talk about as it is too painful.  I have tried to deal with this trauma with a psychologist in my local town, but will probably never fully get over the effects.

My belief is that Hyde thinks they can help everyone in every situation, but this is dangerous territory.  In my case when they pushed hard enough and bullied me for two days straight I finally broke down.  Hyde might think this was therapeutic for me, but Hyde did not have a professional on staff to help me with the outcome of discussing my trauma.  I went into a place that I still cannot describe.  I was told by my Psychologist that this was a mental breakdown.  I drove home from Hyde with my wife only knowing that I was not coping with life.  All of a sudden I was in another place at another time and barely understood who I was.  

I feel that Hyde's arrogance of believing they know it all and have all the answers is seriously flawed.  This "one size fits all" attitude of Hyde is dangerous as was in my case.  I am ok now, but how many others have been temporarily or permanentaly harmed?

Sorry to bore you all with this but I feel my story is worth telling even if it only helps one person.

I don't think you are boring anyone, and there's no need for you to apologize.  In fact, I find your comments moving and inspiring, although they're quite an indictment of the sorry state of affairs at Hyde.  Your words have been echoing in my head, mostly because they mirror what I've observed at Hyde.  In far too many instances I've seen vulnerable parents and students pushed to edge by Hyde's draconian tactics, harsh demands, and arrogant protocol.  Too many Hyde staff seem to believe that they have the right to dump on parents and students, challenge them mercilessly, and push them beyond the brink.  This is done in the name of character education, and it's engaged in by too many staff who seem to have virtually no particular training or skill to deal with the complex emotional and psychiatric issues that emerge during seminars.  In my opinion this is cruel and harmful.  Your story is only one of a number that I've heard describing similar horrific details.  

I'm very sorry you had to endure Hyde's abuse and negligence.  You should be pleased to know, however, that your words are likely to influence others in a significant way.  These anecdotes need to be read by parents who are considering sending their children to Hyde.

[Anonymous]

You made the comment that Hyde's tactics are under the guize of "Character Education."  I agree with this to a certain extent, but I also saw several members of the Hyde staff who had a sick fixation for humiliating and berating parents and students.

[Anonymous]

Emil Nightrate,

With a name like that, we must have been friends. I remember that "The Book" was Joe Gauld's baby and "America's Spirit" was Ed Legg's creation, joint with Sumner Hawley and Bud Warren, which they then took on the road. Those were obviously more hopeful times.

This division of Joe Gauld on the one hand and Legg, Hawley, and Warren on the other exactly coincides with the one I mentioned earlier between abuser and nonabuser. To the other poster who mentioned that psychological and verbal abuse were condoned, I can testify that I saw not three feet from where I was standing Joe Gauld smack around a girl hard enough to send her glasses flying to the other end of the corridor, and then chase her, screaming and crying, out of the Student Union to some unspecified punishment, because he didn't like the way she had returned his greeting! Hyde lost me then. I determined to stay out of trouble, but at the same time to shut my heart against the faculty and student leadership. For two years and a summer I held myself severely aloof from all but the three faculty members I mentioned.

Warren, Legg, and others quit as a result of disagreements that arose with Joe Gauld during my time at Hyde and shortly thereafter. As far as I'm concerned, Gauld purged Hyde of its better, more humane element, who I suspect called his abusiveness into question. And look who Gauld then gathered around him and elevated to headmaster: other abusers, Ken Grant and Paul Hurd. Under such a succession, is it any wonder that the ideals of the seventies -- "The Book," "America's Spirit," "character education," and educational reform -- are ancient history?

[Anonymous]

Emil Nightrate,

With a name like that, we must have been friends. I remember that "The Book" was Joe Gauld's baby and "America's Spirit" was Ed Legg's creation, joint with Sumner Hawley and Bud Warren, which they then took on the road. Those were obviously more hopeful times.

This division of Joe Gauld on the one hand and Legg, Hawley, and Warren on the other exactly coincides with the one I mentioned earlier between abuser and nonabuser. To the other poster who mentioned that psychological and verbal abuse were condoned, I can testify that I saw not three feet from where I was standing Joe Gauld smack around a girl hard enough to send her glasses flying to the other end of the corridor, and then chase her, screaming and crying, out of the Student Union to some unspecified punishment, because he didn't like the way she had returned his greeting! Hyde lost me then. I determined to stay out of trouble, but at the same time to shut my heart against the faculty and student leadership. For two years and a summer I held myself severely aloof from all but the three faculty members I mentioned.

Warren, Legg, and others quit as a result of disagreements that arose with Joe Gauld during my time at Hyde and shortly thereafter. As far as I'm concerned, Gauld purged Hyde of its better, more humane element, who I suspect called his abusiveness into question. And look who Gauld then gathered around him and elevated to headmaster: other abusers, Ken Grant and Paul Hurd. Under such a succession, is it any wonder that the ideals of the seventies -- "The Book," "America's Spirit," "character education," and educational reform -- are ancient history?

  I have heard those stories.  I never saw physical abuse.  I saw verbal abuse,  I recall Joe screaming at and spitting on the student body.   I never sat in the first row, so I did not get wet.
 It is very disappointing that there is no connection between the present incarnation of Hyde and the more humane element from the early days.   They were all purged when Joe came back.   Larry Pray , who was actually an ordained minister, was a real bright spot in contrast to folks that seemed to have a prediliction to drive an index finger into your collar bone or delight in being the task master of the redundent movement of wood. His brother Doug is making movies.
 Joe's mecurial temper reminded me of my father's.  Having been abused as a child, I had no desire to repeat the experiance as a teenager so a steered a wide course around Joe. Joe is a problematic figure.  Hyde was his baby. Hyde foundered without him, yet he seems to keep planting his foot foursquare in the dog shit. He is screaming at people in DC, he is locking horns with parents that end up taking the school to court ....  

Emil Nightrate

[Anonymous]

Yes, Larry and his wife, Connie, believed in being civilized...  Anyone remember Richard Klein?  I think that was his name...  He married his sweetheart, Ellen, and I heard they left shortly after that... some disagreement with the school over extreme philosophies, I was told; perhaps just a difference of opinion...

[Anonymous]

Yes, Larry and his wife, Connie, believed in being civilized...  Anyone remember Richard Klein?  I think that was his name...  He married his sweetheart, Ellen, and I heard they left shortly after that... some disagreement with the school over extreme philosophies, I was told; perhaps just a difference of opinion...

  He could drive a school bus.  Ellen sent a boy off to the mens room so the  biology class could look at sperm on a slide.  I made her laugh by defining asexual reproduction as "like sexual reproduction except not as much fun" on an exam.  She did mark it as in correct.

Emil

[Anonymous]

Yes, Larry and his wife, Connie, believed in being civilized...  Anyone remember Richard Klein?  I think that was his name...  He married his sweetheart, Ellen, and I heard they left shortly after that... some disagreement with the school over extreme philosophies, I was told; perhaps just a difference of opinion...

  He could drive a school bus.  Ellen sent a boy off to the mens room so the  biology class could look at sperm on a slide.  I made her laugh by defining asexual reproduction as "like sexual reproduction except not as much fun" on an exam.  She did mark it as in correct.

Emil

 :rofl:   That would be her sense of humor!  [Something the school seems to lack in the long run big time!]

[Anonymous]

Dick and Ellen Klain...

[Anonymous]

Emil Nightrate,

With a name like that, we must have been friends. I remember that "The Book" was Joe Gauld's baby and "America's Spirit" was Ed Legg's creation, joint with Sumner Hawley and Bud Warren, which they then took on the road. Those were obviously more hopeful times.

This division of Joe Gauld on the one hand and Legg, Hawley, and Warren on the other exactly coincides with the one I mentioned earlier between abuser and nonabuser. To the other poster who mentioned that psychological and verbal abuse were condoned, I can testify that I saw not three feet from where I was standing Joe Gauld smack around a girl hard enough to send her glasses flying to the other end of the corridor, and then chase her, screaming and crying, out of the Student Union to some unspecified punishment, because he didn't like the way she had returned his greeting! Hyde lost me then. I determined to stay out of trouble, but at the same time to shut my heart against the faculty and student leadership. For two years and a summer I held myself severely aloof from all but the three faculty members I mentioned.

Warren, Legg, and others quit as a result of disagreements that arose with Joe Gauld during my time at Hyde and shortly thereafter. As far as I'm concerned, Gauld purged Hyde of its better, more humane element, who I suspect called his abusiveness into question. And look who Gauld then gathered around him and elevated to headmaster: other abusers, Ken Grant and Paul Hurd. Under such a succession, is it any wonder that the ideals of the seventies -- "The Book," "America's Spirit," "character education," and educational reform -- are ancient history?

  I have heard those stories.  I never saw physical abuse.  I saw verbal abuse,  I recall Joe screaming at and spitting on the student body.   I never sat in the first row, so I did not get wet.
 It is very disappointing that there is no connection between the present incarnation of Hyde and the more humane element from the early days.   They were all purged when Joe came back.   Larry Pray , who was actually an ordained minister, was a real bright spot in contrast to folks that seemed to have a prediliction to drive an index finger into your collar bone or delight in being the task master of the redundent movement of wood. His brother Doug is making movies.
 Joe's mecurial temper reminded me of my father's.  Having been abused as a child, I had no desire to repeat the experiance as a teenager so a steered a wide course around Joe. Joe is a problematic figure.  Hyde was his baby. Hyde foundered without him, yet he seems to keep planting his foot foursquare in the dog shit. He is screaming at people in DC, he is locking horns with parents that end up taking the school to court ....  

Emil Nightrate

Your description of Joe is so sad.  I guess his true colors haven't faded much, if at all, over the years. It's amazing to me that his rants and abusive behavior continue; actually, I'm more amazed that the powers-that-be at the school (including the board) tolerate his dysfunctional and truly embarrassing behavior.  Don't all of them realize how he damages Hyde's already sullied reputation?  No wonder Hyde has so many people talking about how bad the school is.

What do you know about parents who are taking Hyde to court?  I'm aware of the recent lawsuit, filed in Connecticut and posted on the Internet.  I gather this lawsuit was recently settled, which probably means the family has to keep their collective mouths shut (gag order that's probably part of the settlement).  What other legal cases against Hyde are out there?

[Anonymous]

Emil Nightrate,

With a name like that, we must have been friends. I remember that "The Book" was Joe Gauld's baby and "America's Spirit" was Ed Legg's creation, joint with Sumner Hawley and Bud Warren, which they then took on the road. Those were obviously more hopeful times.

This division of Joe Gauld on the one hand and Legg, Hawley, and Warren on the other exactly coincides with the one I mentioned earlier between abuser and nonabuser. To the other poster who mentioned that psychological and verbal abuse were condoned, I can testify that I saw not three feet from where I was standing Joe Gauld smack around a girl hard enough to send her glasses flying to the other end of the corridor, and then chase her, screaming and crying, out of the Student Union to some unspecified punishment, because he didn't like the way she had returned his greeting! Hyde lost me then. I determined to stay out of trouble, but at the same time to shut my heart against the faculty and student leadership. For two years and a summer I held myself severely aloof from all but the three faculty members I mentioned.

Warren, Legg, and others quit as a result of disagreements that arose with Joe Gauld during my time at Hyde and shortly thereafter. As far as I'm concerned, Gauld purged Hyde of its better, more humane element, who I suspect called his abusiveness into question. And look who Gauld then gathered around him and elevated to headmaster: other abusers, Ken Grant and Paul Hurd. Under such a succession, is it any wonder that the ideals of the seventies -- "The Book," "America's Spirit," "character education," and educational reform -- are ancient history?

  I have heard those stories.  I never saw physical abuse.  I saw verbal abuse,  I recall Joe screaming at and spitting on the student body.   I never sat in the first row, so I did not get wet.
 It is very disappointing that there is no connection between the present incarnation of Hyde and the more humane element from the early days.   They were all purged when Joe came back.   Larry Pray , who was actually an ordained minister, was a real bright spot in contrast to folks that seemed to have a prediliction to drive an index finger into your collar bone or delight in being the task master of the redundent movement of wood. His brother Doug is making movies.
 Joe's mecurial temper reminded me of my father's.  Having been abused as a child, I had no desire to repeat the experiance as a teenager so a steered a wide course around Joe. Joe is a problematic figure.  Hyde was his baby. Hyde foundered without him, yet he seems to keep planting his foot foursquare in the dog shit. He is screaming at people in DC, he is locking horns with parents that end up taking the school to court ....  

Emil Nightrate

Your description of Joe is so sad.  I guess his true colors haven't faded much, if at all, over the years. It's amazing to me that his rants and abusive behavior continue; actually, I'm more amazed that the powers-that-be at the school (including the board) tolerate his dysfunctional and truly embarrassing behavior.  Don't all of them realize how he damages Hyde's already sullied reputation?  No wonder Hyde has so many people talking about how bad the school is.

What do you know about parents who are taking Hyde to court?  I'm aware of the recent lawsuit, filed in Connecticut and posted on the Internet.  I gather this lawsuit was recently settled, which probably means the family has to keep their collective mouths shut (gag order that's probably part of the settlement).  What other legal cases against Hyde are out there?

I recently heard about a family who was trying to decide which program to send their son to.  Hyde was one of the ones they were considering, but they have decided against it after talking to a couple of parents on this board.

As far as the board keeping Gauld, don't you realize he has put many of his rich followers on the board?  Many corporations do this same thing to ensure the CEO can still control everything.

[Anonymous]

WithOUT Joe, the school is less than mediocre.  Why on earth would you go there?

WITH Joe, it at least has some entertainment value (assuming you don't take it too seriously, and don't sit in the front row).

[Anonymous]

which program to send their son to

Eenie meeney miney mo.
Which abuse pit? They don't know.
That's because their minds are slow.
Are they sane? Survey says no.

[Anonymous]

Emil Nightrate,

With a name like that, we must have been friends. I remember that "The Book" was Joe Gauld's baby and "America's Spirit" was Ed Legg's creation, joint with Sumner Hawley and Bud Warren, which they then took on the road. Those were obviously more hopeful times.

This division of Joe Gauld on the one hand and Legg, Hawley, and Warren on the other exactly coincides with the one I mentioned earlier between abuser and nonabuser. To the other poster who mentioned that psychological and verbal abuse were condoned, I can testify that I saw not three feet from where I was standing Joe Gauld smack around a girl hard enough to send her glasses flying to the other end of the corridor, and then chase her, screaming and crying, out of the Student Union to some unspecified punishment, because he didn't like the way she had returned his greeting! Hyde lost me then. I determined to stay out of trouble, but at the same time to shut my heart against the faculty and student leadership. For two years and a summer I held myself severely aloof from all but the three faculty members I mentioned.

Warren, Legg, and others quit as a result of disagreements that arose with Joe Gauld during my time at Hyde and shortly thereafter. As far as I'm concerned, Gauld purged Hyde of its better, more humane element, who I suspect called his abusiveness into question. And look who Gauld then gathered around him and elevated to headmaster: other abusers, Ken Grant and Paul Hurd. Under such a succession, is it any wonder that the ideals of the seventies -- "The Book," "America's Spirit," "character education," and educational reform -- are ancient history?

  I have heard those stories.  I never saw physical abuse.  I saw verbal abuse,  I recall Joe screaming at and spitting on the student body.   I never sat in the first row, so I did not get wet.
 It is very disappointing that there is no connection between the present incarnation of Hyde and the more humane element from the early days.   They were all purged when Joe came back.   Larry Pray , who was actually an ordained minister, was a real bright spot in contrast to folks that seemed to have a prediliction to drive an index finger into your collar bone or delight in being the task master of the redundent movement of wood. His brother Doug is making movies.
 Joe's mecurial temper reminded me of my father's.  Having been abused as a child, I had no desire to repeat the experiance as a teenager so a steered a wide course around Joe. Joe is a problematic figure.  Hyde was his baby. Hyde foundered without him, yet he seems to keep planting his foot foursquare in the dog shit. He is screaming at people in DC, he is locking horns with parents that end up taking the school to court ....  

Emil Nightrate

Your description of Joe is so sad.  I guess his true colors haven't faded much, if at all, over the years. It's amazing to me that his rants and abusive behavior continue; actually, I'm more amazed that the powers-that-be at the school (including the board) tolerate his dysfunctional and truly embarrassing behavior.  Don't all of them realize how he damages Hyde's already sullied reputation?  No wonder Hyde has so many people talking about how bad the school is.

What do you know about parents who are taking Hyde to court?  I'm aware of the recent lawsuit, filed in Connecticut and posted on the Internet.  I gather this lawsuit was recently settled, which probably means the family has to keep their collective mouths shut (gag order that's probably part of the settlement).  What other legal cases against Hyde are out there?

I recently heard about a family who was trying to decide which program to send their son to.  Hyde was one of the ones they were considering, but they have decided against it after talking to a couple of parents on this board.

As far as the board keeping Gauld, don't you realize he has put many of his rich followers on the board?  Many corporations do this same thing to ensure the CEO can still control everything.

   I thought it was the other way around.  A rich guy took over the board and put Joe back in.   Joe is the tail in this case, the guy that stacked the BoG is the Dog, a Black Dog.