u/No_Public_6056

I’m here to contribute my student perspective on the Bauer v. SPA case. Although the school is currently facing several issues regarding sexual assault and censorship, I want the public to understand how wildly inaccurate Bauer’s original letter of no confidence was. It is so inaccurate and under researched that it is effectively an act of racial bias against Ottley, who stands as the first and only black head of school in SPA’s history.

I find Bauer’s use of the Star Tribune to be frankly gross. Because of my disagreement with the narrative that is being pushed, this reddit post is the only way I could have my voice heard. I wrote a complete Letter to The Editor and was not featured. By contrast, the articles against the school just keep coming and there has also been a pro-Bauer Letter to The Editor that was featured.

The Star Tribune has been putting words in the mouths of the students and parents of SPA, and any discontent is silenced. If you really disagree with media censorship, you should most certainly consider the actions of the Star Tribune itself.

Attached below is my Letter where I explain in further detail:

As a student who recently graduated from St. Paul Academy (SPA), I feel compelled to speak about the ongoing case, Bauer v. Saint Paul Academy. 

There is a distinct racist overtone in how the situation unfolded. This situation was precipitated by a letter of no confidence, written by SPA parent Matt Bauer that targeted Dr. Luis Ottley. When Ottley asked to meet with Bauer to discuss his concerns, Bauer refused. It’s important to note that Dr. Ottley is the first Black Head of School in SPA’s 125-year history. His rejection by these parents, led by Bauer, reflects a deep-seated systemic issue within the SPA community. If Bauer wanted these concerns to be addressed, the appropriate course of action would have been to meet with Ottley and the Board of Trustees to discuss how the school is run rather than targeting the head of school so overtly.

In the drafted letter, there are multiple claims that even a high schooler can tell are inaccurate, exaggerated, and uninformed. This includes an unsubstantiated claim that the school has not been meeting financial goals, even going so far as to speculate, “If twenty students were to leave, drastic cost cutting measures would be required; if fifty students were to leave, the school’s viability would be seriously threatened.” In a later response from the school, this statement proves entirely false. Additionally, Bauer falsely claimed that the Faculty Council, a touch-point between teachers and parents, was shut down under Ottley, even though it had been disbanded in 2018, long before Dr. Ottley came to SPA.

Ottley has made significant efforts to integrate into the SPA community. Just this year, he began hosting advisory dinner events in order to connect with graduating seniors. Over the course of several weeks, every student was invited to one of these events, and if you were busy during the time of your original invite, you could always come to the next one. He also has held events to directly connect with parents such as “Lattes with Luis.”  Ottley has tried in numerous ways to interact directly with the community, even though some may say otherwise. It has always been a priority for him to hear about the student experience as directly as possible.

Personally, I feel that this entire situation has become concerningly overblown. I fear that this attention being drawn to our school may drive vitriol from those uninvolved in the situation. Under instagram posts about the issue, I read many unsettling comments “SPA needs to be closed.” ( al\_ghurab6) or a different user referring to SPA as a "Fascist Factory.” (mcde\_rigueur) 

I find these statements offensive as someone who has enjoyed my time at SPA. My education has helped learn how to think critically about issues such as this one in an encouraging and safe environment. When issues have arisen for me in the past, I’ve always felt supported both by faculty and admin. 

It’s important to solve the concerns raised by Bauer, but the only way to do that is to have respect for the staff that makes what we have possible. 

I would like to hear other perspectives in the comments as well, please feel free to discuss in the comments below.

I’m here to contribute my student perspective on the Bauer v. SPA case. Although the school is currently facing several issues regarding sexual assault and censorship, I want the public to understand how wildly inaccurate Bauer’s original letter of no confidence was. It is so inaccurate and under researched that it is effectively an act of racial bias against Ottley, who stands as the first and only black head of school in SPA’s history.

I find Bauer’s use of the Star Tribune to be frankly gross. Because of my disagreement with the narrative that is being pushed, this reddit post is the only way I could have my voice heard. I wrote a complete Letter to The Editor and was not featured. By contrast, the articles against the school just keep coming and there has also been a pro-Bauer Letter to The Editor that was featured.

The Star Tribune has been putting words in the mouths of the students and parents of SPA, and any discontent is silenced. If you really disagree with media censorship, you should most certainly consider the actions of the Star Tribune itself.

Attached below is my Letter where I explain in further detail:

As a student who recently graduated from St. Paul Academy (SPA), I feel compelled to speak about the ongoing case, Bauer v. Saint Paul Academy. 

There is a distinct racist overtone in how the situation unfolded. This situation was precipitated by a letter of no confidence, written by SPA parent Matt Bauer that targeted Dr. Luis Ottley. When Ottley asked to meet with Bauer to discuss his concerns, Bauer refused. It’s important to note that Dr. Ottley is the first Black Head of School in SPA’s 125-year history. His rejection by these parents, led by Bauer, reflects a deep-seated systemic issue within the SPA community. If Bauer wanted these concerns to be addressed, the appropriate course of action would have been to meet with Ottley and the Board of Trustees to discuss how the school is run rather than targeting the head of school so overtly.

In the drafted letter, there are multiple claims that even a high schooler can tell are inaccurate, exaggerated, and uninformed. This includes an unsubstantiated claim that the school has not been meeting financial goals, even going so far as to speculate, “If twenty students were to leave, drastic cost cutting measures would be required; if fifty students were to leave, the school’s viability would be seriously threatened.” In a later response from the school, this statement proves entirely false. Additionally, Bauer falsely claimed that the Faculty Council, a touch-point between teachers and parents, was shut down under Ottley, even though it had been disbanded in 2018, long before Dr. Ottley came to SPA.

Ottley has made significant efforts to integrate into the SPA community. Just this year, he began hosting advisory dinner events in order to connect with graduating seniors. Over the course of several weeks, every student was invited to one of these events, and if you were busy during the time of your original invite, you could always come to the next one. He also has held events to directly connect with parents such as “Lattes with Luis.”  Ottley has tried in numerous ways to interact directly with the community, even though some may say otherwise. It has always been a priority for him to hear about the student experience as directly as possible.

Personally, I feel that this entire situation has become concerningly overblown. I fear that this attention being drawn to our school may drive vitriol from those uninvolved in the situation. Under instagram posts about the issue, I read many unsettling comments “SPA needs to be closed.” ( al_ghurab6) or a different user referring to SPA as a "Fascist Factory.” (mcde_rigueur) 

I find these statements offensive as someone who has enjoyed my time at SPA. My education has helped learn how to think critically about issues such as this one in an encouraging and safe environment. When issues have arisen for me in the past, I’ve always felt supported both by faculty and admin. 

It’s important to solve the concerns raised by Bauer, but the only way to do that is to have respect for the staff that makes what we have possible.