A teacher at Hawken School in Gates Mills has resigned after a former student came forward with allegations of inappropriate conduct, according to school officials. The teacher, who taught human performance and health and coached varsity volleyball at Hawken's Upper High School, was placed on immediate leave and barred from campus once administrators learned of the claims.
School officials learned of the allegations on October 29, and the teacher's credentials were removed from Hawken's website as of this past Wednesday, as reported by Cleveland.com. Hawken said it reported information about the allegations to local law enforcement and the Ohio State Board of Education as part of its response.
Head of School D. Scott Looney said the allegations do not involve current students or recent graduates, according to the outlet's report. Looney wrote in a statement that “the safety and well-being of our students, both past and present, is our highest priority,” and said the school “take[s] this matter extremely seriously.”
School Says It's Working With Authorities on Scope of Allegations
Hawken said it is working with investigators to determine whether similar conduct, or more recent incidents, may have involved other students. Looney said the school is limited in what it can publicly share because of privacy concerns and the ongoing investigation, and the school did not provide details about the alleged conduct, the identity of the alumnus who came forward, or how many people have come forward with information.
Hawken also said the teacher had undergone background checks that revealed no issues before the allegations surfaced. Looney encouraged anyone with information to contact him or Associate Head of School Suzette Dyer directly, the same account notes.
A Second Case Involving a Former Hawken Employee
The resignation comes roughly a year after a separate case involving a different former Hawken Upper School employee. Devin Hernandez, who had worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the school, was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual battery involving a student, according to Cleveland 19. Investigators said that case involved a 17-year-old student at Hawken Upper School and conduct that occurred from March 1, 2023 through at least that May 31. Hernandez was indicted on five counts, pled guilty to two, had three dismissed, and was ordered to register as a Tier 3 sex offender; he had left Hawken for a position at Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin in August 2023.
A separate, unrelated case elsewhere in Ohio also surfaced this year: a Milton-Union Exempted Village School District teacher was investigated over alleged misconduct involving a recently graduated student, with the Miami County Sheriff's Office responding to a report described as a sex offense and grooming complaint on June 18, according to WTRF. The sheriff's office said that matter remained pending further investigation. Nothing in available reporting ties that case to Hawken.
About Hawken School
Hawken, founded in 1915, is an independent, coeducational college-preparatory school that serves more than 1,500 students across campuses in Gates Mills, Lyndhurst and Cleveland. It operates its Upper School in Gates Mills along with the Mastery School of Hawken in University Circle, which opened in 2020. The investigation into the latest allegations remains ongoing, and Hawken has not said when it expects to conclude its review with authorities.
