January 25, 2018 

Dear Members of the Nishimachi Community,

I would like to provide you with an update on the investigation into an allegation of historical sexual misconduct, that I wrote to you about on September 14, 2017.   

Over the 2017 summer holidays, a person who attended Nishimachi in the 1970's made the school aware of allegations of sexual misconduct directed at her by a former faculty member.

Our commitment to student protection and safety includes the prompt and thorough review of all allegations of misconduct by faculty and/or staff. Because there is no expiry date on this policy, the Board of Directors decided that the report of sexual misconduct referenced above would be investigated by McLane Middleton, a U.S.A.-based law firm that specializes in student protection matters.

The investigation, which is now complete, was led by David Wolowitz, an internationally recognized expert on student protection and safety, who has conducted trainings on prevention--and investigated allegations—of sexual misconduct at schools across the world. He has also advised the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS), among other independent schools' associations.

Over the course of the investigation, Wolowitz and his team questioned a number of persons, including the former student who came forward, the alleged perpetrator, and others who had relevant knowledge. After a review of all of the evidence, McLane Middleton concluded that the allegations are well-founded.

After being presented with the results of the investigation by McLane Middleton, the Board of Directors has decided to do the following:

1. Provide a full apology to the victim on behalf of our school community.
2. Ban the perpetrator from entering Nishimachi International School or appearing at official school organised activities.
3. Send this update to our school community.

To respect the wishes--and to protect the confidentiality--of the victim, the Board of Directors has decided not to disclose the name of the perpetrator, who no longer works in education.

While these matters relate to an incident from many years ago, they nevertheless remind us that we must always be vigilant and proactive where student protection is concerned. We are most grateful to the two alumni who came forward in response to our earlier letters. We salute their courage, which has resulted in more awareness of the potential for misconduct as well as more effective student protection policies and preventive measures, including enhanced training for students and staff.

We will continue to encourage any students who may have been subjected to sexual misconduct by a faculty or staff member while attending Nishimachi —or members of our community at large who may have relevant information—to contact me directly.

I assure you that anyone who chooses to come forward will be treated with sensitivity and respect. Any information provided will be received with complete confidentiality.

As always, please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about our current student protection and safety protocols and procedures.

Michael Hosking
Head of School