Mass teacher resignations at ‘best private school in NJ’

LAWRENCE (Mercer) — A private school in Mercer County that charges $35,000 in tuition lost a quarter of its teachers, and parents say they've been left in the dark.

Students at the Chapin School of Princeton returned for their first day of school Wednesday. Founded in 1931, the co-ed school serves around 200 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Chapin calls itself the "best private school in NJ" on its website.

But 11 teachers and three administrators from last school year weren't there to greet the returning students. It was a big hit for a school that has around 50 total faculty and staff.

They resigned over the summer. Sources tell Townsquare Media they felt unsafe under the new head of school, Bill Ennist, who joined at the start of the last school year.

Chapin parents demand answers

Over the summer, parents from more than 70 families signed an open letter to the Chapin Board of Trustees saying they had been "left to speculate" about why so many teachers resigned. There were less than 100 total returning families.

"We acknowledge that new leadership often brings planned retirements and departures. Yet, we remain deeply concerned by the atypically high number of summer resignations and a faculty/administrator attrition rate of approximately 25%," the letter said.

A Zoom webinar hosted last week by Board of Trustees President John Osuna had few answers. Parents overwhelmingly asked about the results of an investigation into accusations against the school.

"I would love to tell you. I can't," said Osuna of the investigation results, which he said were confidential. He also said high rates of turnover at private schools were becoming more common.

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Investigation finds concerns "unsubstantiated"

The Board of Trustees hired law firm Reed Smith to investigate the accusations, Osuna and Head of School Bill Ennist said in a joint letter to the community last month.

"In its investigation, Reed Smith determined that the concerns were unsubstantiated. We recognize that the confidential nature of the process may have left some in our community wanting additional information," said Osuna and Ennist.

All of the accusations were unsubstantiated, a spokesperson for Chapin said in a statement to New Jersey 101.5.

The full statement is below.

“Chapin is aware of concerns raised by several former faculty and staff members last June, and steps have been taken to address those concerns. However, in keeping with best practices, Chapin does not publicly discuss internal disciplinary or HR matters. The Chapin Board and school leadership are dedicated to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all our students, faculty, and families. As with most leadership transitions, faculty changes commonly follow a Head of School’s first year. This summer we identified and hired highly qualified faculty who share Chapin’s commitment to our students and virtues. We look forward to a successful year of growth and development for our students," the spokesperson said.

Specific accusations against Chapin

According to sources who spoke with New Jersey 101.5, the resignations were the result of the school's failure to make faculty feel safe on school grounds.

The spokesperson for Chapin said all accusations were unsubstantiated when asked about specific accusations.

One accusation was that a group of eighth graders made a hit list targeting teachers. The students were sent home for the rest of the day after being caught but faced no further punishment.

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Another accusation was that Head of School Bill Ennist sat on a third grader's lap in class, which parents found inappropriate.

And one parent faced no consequences after sending a raving, racist email to the board. He called parents from Pakistan or India "absolute cultural cockroaches" and said they were not using their turn signals in the school parking lot.

Teachers felt unsafe with him on school grounds but nothing was done because it was a parent issue and not a school issue.