Nicholas here 12/26/13 8:45 AM

From: nSpark?
To: archonshb? sbenjamin 
Bee: catspark?

Subject: Nicholas here
Date: Sun, Nov 17, 2013 11:24 am

Saul,

In a little while, I'll be sending you my opening remarks for the BOT Forum. I'm just waiting for Trustee comments first.

In regard to your letter: ?rst I want to thank you for writing to the BOT. While I may have more Speci?c comments later,
l'm glad that you seem to fully understand the severity of the crisis at the present time.

On a personal level, I'm both angry and frustrated. Again, my life is being made very difficult, and I don't have time for
this. I told you this would happen and the BOT told you this would happen if you didn't follow our advice, which was
simply, "don't rock the boat on this particular issue." Now, l'm having to put out ?res -- big. raging infernos - because of
some of the things that have occurred since the opening days of school.

Trust is hard to attain; it's even harder to regain when lost, and it will be a rough road for you for a while, even among the
BOT. Unfortunately, I can?t help you with that, other than to again offer my advice. So here goes:

1) As I've noted before, you are perceived by some employees to be arrogant, rude and condescending; to these people,
you should apologize. I know you want names, but frankly, I don't know that it's all that important. I think you should sit
down first -- in order -- with your leadership team, then the rest of the admin, then the faculty, either one by one or in
groups, and apologize if necessary. And ask them to give you another chance. (Without defensiveness, by the way.)
And ask them to frankly call you on it if you do such things again. You are blessed with a very good team and they should
all feel appreciated for what they do.

2) You should handle the situation with the and again, keep in mind, they perceived that you were
threatening - even if (in your mind) you weren't, and then making a demand that he do something in direct
contradiction to his faith. Again, I'd start with an apology, and then listen and then ask what YOU can do to make it
bener

3) Make sure all Christian traditions feel especially Christian, especially as we move into the Christmas season.

4) Understand that many people now perceive you as having an agenda with which they disagree. Again, you chose to
rock this boat early and hard, not only with Chapel changes (including 4 bells, not 3), but with what some perceive as an
agenda that strives to make homosexuality open and accepted -- and not only that, it's one of the most important things
we need to do to our school." (Perception matters). My opinion is you should have waited at least a year for these
kinds of things -- and I said as much to you numerous times and l'm not sure how you can ?x it, other than to do the
things you outlined in your letter. As for the "Club,? there obviously can't be one now, though you might open your doors
at your home if you feel quali?ed to talk to them about it in small group settings.

5) Numbers 1 and 4, when brought together, seem to imply that you believe the "school needed to be ?xed."
Academically, yes. Financially, yes. integration/improvement? Certainly. But spiritually? Frankly, we were
good there: it is, and has been since its founding, a kind school, where everyone is kind; it is in fact, the KINDEST school
I've ever visited. There has not, for instance, been a single ?ght in 8 years at the school. People accept other people
here; our ?rst student were Jewish. And until the last 2 months, nearly everyone was fine with how we implemented the
Christian traditions at the school, which frankly, go a long way toward creating the culture of kindness.

6) As to the agenda people assume you have, you can't really blame them for thinking such things. Let's look at the ?rst
couple of months: Chapel has changed (Christian equivalence of lslarn and Judaism, for example), there's a lot of talk
about diversity and how we're awful because we don't have it, we need to have a Club," we need to support the
50th anniversary of the March on Washington, your references to our non-discrimination policy (as opposed, let's say, to a
much heavier emphasis on "celebrating our Christian traditions" and on the other hand, not only don?t we have a

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Nicholas here 12/26l13 8:45 AM

chaplain, out no one realty knows what's going on with the chaplain search. it's easy to see why people believe that you
think your ?heiiefs? are more more important than theirs which is the very definition of ?having an agenda."

A couple of other things that you need to take to heart:

1) To do the things we need to do you have to first win their hearts. You?ve lost a
lot of hearts latelyterrihte position right now. And it was, i remember, the one thing we needed you NOT to do.

3) While we on the BOT grant that YOU wilt hire the Chaplain, i must also let you know that there are many, many people
who don't believe you will hire the right person for this school and in this community. were you, l'd make it even more
inclusive than you originally planned, and take their (the community?s) recommendations to heart. This is the most
important hiring decision you will make this year, and you will either lose people?s trust, or gain it, maybe this time for
good.

4) Regarding diversity, We now told you half a dozen times that our lack of diversity has to do with the school,
or anyone at the school. it's not because of what we as a school, has or hasn?t done. it has nothing to do with racism, or
vestiges of Jim Crow. it comes down to 1) Money and 2) Culture. Even when you have the money, it will be hard
sledding, no matter what Jenna does as far as outreach. My point is, if you continually bring this up at the school, it seems
to imply that it's the school?s fault; that people at the school have done something wrong (which again, goes to numbers 
4 8: 5). Again. it's not the fault of the school. or anyone at the school. including if you want to talk to someone
about diversity, talk to Jenna (who?s designing the diversity scholarship program) or me (who be responsible for raising
the money to fund the scholarship program once Jenna has designed it.)

5) The not was not ?hroken.? It?s a great place. it has grown EVERY year since our founding. it needed some
improvements, but MOST SCHOOLS DO.

6) While Dr. Ashton is qualified as a teacher, i noticed that he's not been a school Chaplain before, and i think we have to
go with someone who has specific experience in this area. The Chaplain, after all, should be someone who is not only a
teacher, but the kind of person who goes to nearly every co-curricular event, the kind that parents love, another face of the
school, and almost a youth pastor in temperament. Just my opinion at ?rst glance, though i haven't met him obviously.

Please regard this email in the spirit in which it was intended. While i am angry and frustrated, l'm still the Chairman, and
it?s part of my job to help you navigate these waters.

i wish you well, and enjoy your time with Dr. Ashton today.

Nicholas

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