An elite private school beloved by celebrities has found itself in trouble after comedian Jerry Seinfeld criticized it for saying it would allow “emotionally distressed” children to take the day off after the election.
The Fieldston School of Ethical Culture, which has three locations in New York City, was embroiled in scandal earlier this week after New York Times obtained an email sent by Principal Stacey Bobo that said students could be excused from classes next Thursday.
The message left Jerry, 70, outraged, and he told the publication that both of his children had attended the school but that his youngest, Shepherd, now 19, had transferred because of ‘decisions like this.’
And this isn’t the first time the institution has found itself in the middle of controversy, having endured surprising comments from teachers, accusations of bullying, and major leadership changes in recent years.
But still, it has become a favorite among the wealthy, thanks to its “progressive” teaching style and “inclusive” structure.
An elite private school has found itself in hot water after comedian Jerry Seinfeld criticized it for saying it would allow “emotionally distressed” children to take the day off after the election.
The Fieldston School of Ethical Culture prides itself on its dedication to teaching children how to “be ethical and responsible members of society,” but it comes with a hefty price tag: roughly $65,000 a year in tuition.
It requires all of its students to enroll in ethics courses from a young age so that they can prepare to “care for our world, ourselves, and others.”
“Our goal is to create a comprehensive experience for students to engage in activism, focused on raising awareness, advocating for social issues, participating in service projects, and supporting causes within the surrounding community and beyond,” their website reads.
“Our progressive education principles focus on the whole child, ensuring that education is responsive, relevant, experiential and playful, among other characteristics.”
The institution, which teaches children from preschool to 12th grade on two campuses in Manhattan and one in the Bronx and currently has approximately 1,700 students, began in 1878 and has had its share of famous faces walking its halls.
Numerous Hollywood legends, successful entrepreneurs, and powerful leaders have attended the school, including actresses Rita Gam and Louise Lasser, former New York Deputy Mayor Patricia Harris, and Star Trek alum Walter Koenig.
Additionally, actor Zach McGowan, New York State Senator Dan Squadron, Oscar-nominated film editor Andrew Weisblum, and New York State Assemblyman Keith LT Wright are among his students.
The school also encourages its students to “continually explore their identity” and holds monthly 45-minute meetings so children can “talk about race, ethnicity and ethics.”
The Fieldston School for Ethical Culture was embroiled in scandal earlier this week after the New York Times obtained an email sent by director Stacey Bobo (seen)
“We are proud to be one of the only schools in New York City to start these conversations at such a young age,” the school said.
“Supporting children in their awareness of the similarities and differences of others and positively connecting them to their own identity is essential to helping them become confident, compassionate and healthy young adults.”
He said students could be excused from classes next Thursday, and the message left Jerry (seen), 70, outraged.
In addition, it has a ‘robust’ artistic program and offers ‘training’ in acting, dance, direction, choreography, set design, design, writing, drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, printmaking and architecture, among other things.
For those interested in music, there are classes on “electronic music, music theory and composition, as well as a variety of small and large group performance ensembles.”
The school holds annual fashion shows, in which some children are tasked with making their own dresses, but they are not allowed to use fabric.
Instead, they are forced to turn household objects into fashion pieces, and the event previously caught the attention of teen fashionwho gushed that there wasn’t an empty seat available after attending one of the annual shows.
But the private school has certainly had its fair share of negative press as well.
In 2019, the school came under fire after guest speaker Kayum Ahmed, director of the philanthropic organization Open Society Foundations, compared what Jews endured during the Holocaust to violence against Palestinians in Israel during an assembly.
And this is not the first time that the institution has found itself in the middle of controversy, as it has suffered accusations of bullying and significant leadership changes in recent years.
But still, it has become a favorite among the wealthy, thanks to its “progressive” teaching style and “inclusive” structure.
The Fieldston School of Ethical Culture is proud of its dedication to teaching children how to “be ethical and responsible members of society.”
A spokesperson for the school told DailyMail.com afterwards: “We do not tolerate anti-Semitism and oppose all forms of hate.”
Then, in January 2020, a professor was fired for criticizing Israel in class and on his personal X account.
Earlier this year, the school became embroiled in “infighting between parents, students, teachers and alumni” over pro-Palestine activism, New York Times reported.
Parents accused the school of being a “hotbed of Jew-hatred,” and one mother, named Dr. Logan Levkoff, claimed that her son experienced anti-Semitism while attending the school.
He said he was called an “ethnic cleanser” and a “colonizer” during his student days.
Amid the tension, the school’s principal, Joe Algrant, resigned in August, and school officials said at the time that he left to “pursue other personal and professional goals.”
