Georgetown Prep: media portrayal of school culture not close to reality

Georgetown Preparatory School, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s high school, decried how it has been portrayed in recent media accounts about sexual misconduct allegations surrounding Kavanaugh.

In a statement, the private school said its community was “being disparaged” and said the portrayals in the media were inaccurate, while also criticizing some media outlets for publishing stories without seeking comment from the school.

“The image that has been presented on social media and in various news outlets depicts recklessness, illegal conduct, and lack of respect for persons. Worse, many blame these faults on institutional indifference,” Georgetown Prep said in its statement.

{mosads} “The temptations, and the failings, presented in these stories are not unique to Georgetown Prep,” the letter wrote, saying problems such as “abuses of alcohol and drugs” as well as “sexual assault and misconduct” were being faced by educators across the country “every day.”

The high school also rejected that the type of behavior or culture being portrayed in media reports were tolerated.

“It is demonstrably false that such behavior or culture is tolerated, still less encouraged, at Georgetown Prep. In fact, our curriculum is designed to guide students away from these malignant influences, and to guide them through reflection away from selfishness and towards a life of service for and with others,” it said.

The statement comes after Kavanaugh was accused of sexual misconduct while he was a student at the all-boys Georgetown Prep school in the early 1980s, one of three allegations he faces, all of which Kavanaugh has denied.

Christine Blasey Ford, a student at a neighboring school, accused the judge of pinning her to a bed during a high school party in the 1980s and trying to remove her clothes.

The New York Times described a culture of heavy drinking and partying by Kavanaugh and his group of friends at Georgetown Prep in a story earlier this week. 

Other media accounts have also described Kavanaugh engaging in heavy drinking while he was a student at Georgetown Prep.