The MIHS Islander wishes to express our deep disappointment in the alleged actions of our former adviser, Chris Twombley, who was placed on leave in December 2023 following sexual misconduct allegations. Though two investigations found the allegations to be credible, Twombley was not prosecuted because the year he allegedly committed the crime was outside the statute of limitations.
We care deeply for the welfare of the survivor and extend gratitude for their courage. They were our age when this alleged crime occurred. And we are heartbroken for all students, parents and staff members who once trusted Twombley.
We would also like to express disappointment in the district’s handling of this situation. In Superintendent Fred Rundle’s email to the community, sent after learning an article was being written, he cited four priorities: protecting the survivor’s anonymity, protecting current students, finding other survivors and removing Twombley’s teaching license. Of these goals, we believe only the first and last were adequately pursued.
For the seniors on staff, Twombley had been a teacher we trusted and looked up to since our freshman year. His name was the password to our Instagram account. Photos of him decorated our classroom. His absence was deeply felt, and being left without closure was disorienting for many students. Left in the dark about the actual reason for his departure, our staff hoped for his well-being and return. Seniors thanked him in their end-of-year reflections, credited him for their most formative lessons, and walked at graduation, hoping he was in the audience. And when we saw Rundle’s email, our group chat was flooded with shock and disbelief. Between the time Twombley left in December 2023 and the time Rundle’s email arrived, we didn’t know that we should no longer trust an alleged sexual predator.
The email claims Twombley “has not worked or interacted with our students” since being placed on leave. This claim is not true. When the school informed students and parents of Twombley’s “leave of absence,” it didn’t inform us of the reason for his departure, nor did it tell us not to contact him. They left the responsibility of cutting off contact to him rather than us. We attempted to send him a poster with encouraging messages. One former member of The Islander staff contacted him and received a response, which has been referred to the administration.
Until recently, Twombley’s phone number was saved in our Google Drive. We could have texted or called him at any time we wanted. Nobody told us not to. This is unacceptable.
The email claims the police and district “investigated thoroughly to determine if there were additional students impacted or other victims we could identify. Neither the police nor [their] own investigation found evidence of other victims.” It seems that, at a minimum, a thorough investigation would have begun with his students of that time. Yet, out of those 35 students, none of the 31 who responded recall having been contacted or investigated regarding the matter.
We support the district’s intention to protect the survivor’s anonymity and commend the decision to limit identifying details in the email, and we can’t imagine the pain this situation must dredge up. We recognize that the increased attention puts their anonymity at risk. But “protecting anonymity” was listed alongside “protecting current students” and “finding other survivors.” When first informed of the accusation, the district should have told students not to contact Twombley. Once the allegations were confirmed in February 2024, it should have informed students. While this news would never have been easy to receive, we would only have had our former teacher to be disappointed in.
Moving forward, we hope the district learns from this situation and the resulting feedback and takes accountability for its insufficient actions. According to a recent message from Rundle, the district is reviewing its policies to improve in the future. We sincerely hope this is the case.
