Idyllwild Arts students hold protest

Idyllwild Arts Academy (IAA) students staged a protest regarding allegations of sexual assault, predatory behavior and racism. According to Pamela Jordan, president of Idyllwild Arts Foundation, about 120 students participated in the protest outside of the academic administration building on campus last Monday.

The students read a list of demands and allegations at the protest which are included with this story on page A3. The list has circulated throughout social media.

The newspaper contacted every individual listed with the exception of three, whose contact information could not be located and the minors whose names were redacted, asking for comment. A copy of the letter, which Jordan sent out to parents in an email after the protest, was included. The newspaper also contacted Jordan asking the following: the reasoning for sending the email to parents, steps IAA is taking regarding the allegations and if law enforcement is involved, when the allegations were originally brought to faculty/administration attention, if the students who were allegedly raped the ones disciplined and if she had a comment regarding the allegations.

The people who responded (outside of Jordan) to the request for comment referred the paper to Jordan because she was the point person for all external communication.

Jordan responded, “Idyllwild Arts Academy is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our students that is free of discriminatory or improper behavior of any type, in particular, sexual violence. When we became aware of alleged sexual misconduct among students, we immediately took the matter seriously and began implementing a series of steps to reinforce our policies – and our expectations – regarding appropriate conduct within the Idyllwild Arts community. These steps include providing information through All School, our weekly assembly, and other forums to clearly delineate our policies around Title IX and sexual misconduct. As we move forward in the coming weeks, we will identify steps or changes to strengthen our institution and help prevent future incidents of sexual misconduct.

“As an educational institution, we have a legal obligation to investigate any clear claim of misconduct, of any type, that does not align with our community’s standards. As we conduct an investigation, we will do so fully and with a strict focus on impartial fact-finding to learn the objective truth. This is the surest way possible to extend our support to anyone who comes forward, as well as to anyone who has been accused to ensure the facts come to light. It is important to note that because a person is the subject of an inquiry it does not mean they are culpable.

“We appreciate the community’s patience as we swiftly, rigorously, and thoroughly follow our investigatory procedures under the law. We also appreciate the ongoing commitment of the Idyllwild Arts Academy faculty and staff. They are a supremely talented group of individuals who are committed to our students’ success and we value their contributions greatly. Going forward, we will provide as much information as appropriate and as we are allowed under the law to our students, parents, faculty, and community as it becomes available.”