Summertime Bummertime
Summer. A time Hawken faculty spent by revising curriculum, teaching summer courses, running summer camps, summer athletics, and making various modifications throughout the building; the Upper school bustled with activity in preparation for the next school year. However, when people weren’t watching, a break-in occurred on campus. Fox 8 News reported in late June that a registered sex-offender, Jon Titter, was apprehended for breaking into both campuses of University School and for a break in at Gilmour Academy, with reports of the criminal taking student yearbooks and other personal items from the campuses. Titter was found in connection with items taken from Hawken as well. The evidence sparked a deeper investigation into the matter, and a school-wide notice was sent out. Gina Walter, Hawken’s Director of Strategic Marketing, says that the possible break-in would have happened in the early summer, as the initial arrest of Titter was in late June. The items that were uncovered from the suspect included paperwork from Hawken’s Athletics Department and Hawken yearbooks, which pointed to the possibility of the theft occurring at the Upper School. Investigators are uncertain of how Titter entered The Upper School, or when the break-in occurred. The investigation into the break-ins at Hawken, Gilmour, and US is still an ongoing investigation; law enforcement is working on learning more about the specifics of this bizarre case. The investigation is a combined effort between the FBI and local police from Shaker Heights, Gates Mills, and Hunting Valley.
After the break in occurred, a school wide notice was sent out to parents concerning the break-in and Hawken’s response. Many parents were understandably worried, but Hawken worked to reassure them of their children’s safety. Safety and security at the Upper School has long been questioned by many members of the community. When questioned, some alumni parents noted that even when they went to school at Hawken decades ago, the Upper School appeared to lack visible security. In the wake of the break-in, security concerns have increased, with concerns that events of this nature, or worse, could happen at the Upper School again. Hawken parent, Sharon G, notes that with the front door opened and seemingly unlocked at all hours, “it’s concerning how few security measures [there] are in place in the building, even the front entrance ”. Sharon is one of many who notes that the break-in serves as an indicator for them and everyone else in the Hawken community that the idea of the Upper School being “in the middle of nowhere” no longer serves as comfort for protection against serious, and possibly dangerous, events from happening in the future. Another parent says that she has noticed that you can “come in on a Saturday and wonder ‘which of these doors will be open?’ The answer is most likely all of them”. This parent also says that it is no wonder the perpetrator was able to enter Stirn Hall with ease. In fact, Hawken administration admits that they were unaware that a break-in even occurred until Jon Titter was arrested and Hawken-related materials were discovered in his possession, further exacerbating the question of what security measures are in place and functional. Fox 8 News notes that at other schools victimized by Titter, surveillance footage was used to begin a search and an eventual arrest. Yet at Hawken there seems to be no record of a man fitting Titter’s description entering the Upper School campus. Some parents even call into question the label of what happened at the Upper School as a “break-in,” as some say it is obvious that Titter entered campus buildings with little to no resistance. The consensus among many parents questioned is that the Upper School was never very secure, and as of today, the Upper School should no longer be seen as such since seemingly anyone can find their way onto campus as pointed out by a Hawken parent. Compared to the security model at the Lower School, which includes locked doors, an intercom system for visitors, and more directive instructions for people visiting and signing in, the Upper School has much room for improvement. Parents appreciate the freedom their children are given at the Upper School, but all we spoke with say that given the choice of a free, open campus and increased safety, they would all prioritize safety.
While Hawken, investigators, and other area independent schools continue to work on uncovering the truth about the break-ins, many people in the Hawken community wonder, and worry, what could happen next at the Upper School. The question of how Hawken will deal with parent and community concerns about safety at the Upper School remains unanswered.