New lawsuit seeks damages over allegations of abuse at Sonoma Academy

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Sonoma Academy, an elite college-prep school nestled at the base of Taylor Mountain in Santa Rosa, was rocked in June 2021 after The Press Democrat reported stories from seven graduates detailing border-crossing behavior by a longtime teacher at the school, Marco Morrone.

Three of the women’s reports to Tucker Foehl, Sonoma Academy’s school principal since June 2020, had led to Morrone’s dismissal from the school in October 2020. But Foehl had not informed the Sonoma Academy community or the general public of the circumstances behind Morrone. departure, and the women feared that Morrone would find another job working with minors without more transparency.

Ten days after The Press Democrat’s first story, Sonoma Academy announced it was launching a full investigation into Morrone’s conduct, including why he stayed in school after being disciplined in 2007 and amid multiple complaints from students and alumni from 2007 to 2020. He hired New York Cabinet Debevoise and Plimpton to conduct the investigation.

In September, Sonoma Academy announced that it was establishing a fund to provide students or alumni affected by teacher misconduct with reimbursement for therapy costs. The fund was created in partnership with RAINN, the National Rape, Abuse and Incest Network, to help students and alumni access mental health resources.

On November 29, Sonoma Academy released Debevoise and Plimpton’s full report. His findings were explosive: Investigators had identified 34 female students who had been victims of misconduct by Morrone, and that two former employees had sexually abused students in the early 2000s. had ever reported to law enforcement, even when required by law or recommended by legal counsel.

Throughout the investigation, the school’s founding headmistress Janet Durgin has come under scrutiny for her handling of reports about Morrone. Investigators found she failed to pass information about past complaints about Morrone to the board and alert law enforcement.

Durgin apologized for “missteps” during her tenure, and while she disputed some of the investigator’s findings, she took responsibility for the “ultimate results”.

On November 30, the Santa Rosa Police Department confirmed it was investigating several alleged cases of child sexual abuse associated with Sonoma Academy personnel.”

On Dec. 1, an anonymous graduate filed the first lawsuit against Sonoma Academy, Durgin, and Morrone, claiming she had been the victim of sexual abuse and harassment in teaching, sexual abuse, abuse and gender-based violence, among other civil rights violations.

Also on December 1, Ellie Dwight, founding vice principal of the school at Sonoma Academy and also a person targeted in the investigative report for her actions in response to reports of teacher misconduct, resigned from her position. . Young people and our school have been injured on my watch and that cannot be excused,” she said. “Sorry, that’s not strong enough.

On Dec. 7, The Press Democrat reported that Morrone was able to work for six weeks as a substitute teacher at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma, six months after he was fired from Sonoma Academy for inappropriate conduct with students. No one from Sonoma Academy informed the Sonoma County Office of Education, which conducts background checks on substitute applicants, of the reasons for Morrone’s dismissal.

Sonoma Academy cover

Click here for full coverage of allegations of sexual harassment and abuse at Sonoma Academy.

If you want to share your story

The Press Democrat continues to cover allegations of student abuse and staff misconduct at Sonoma Academy.

Here’s how to contact our journalists:

Martin Espinoza: 707-521-5213 or [email protected]. On Twitter @pressreno

Marisa Endicott: 707-521-5470 or [email protected]. On Twitter @InYourCornerTPD

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