Two years ago, a former student at Interlochen Arts Academy reported instances of sexual misconduct committed in the 1970s by Byron Hanson, a beloved member of the music faculty at the prestigious arts boarding school.
“It was shocking,” said Trey Devey, president of Interlochen Center for the Arts, which oversees the school.
That complaint led Interlochen to commission an independent investigation into conduct by faculty and staff throughout its history. On Tuesday night, Interlochen released the findings to the public.
The97-page reportspells out some 70 instances of sexual misconduct by multiple former faculty and staff spanning seven decades.
“The abuse described in the report is absolutely heartbreaking,” Devey told IPR. “It’s contrary to everything this institution stands for, and we’re grateful to everyone who came forward to share their experiences, and we’re deeply sorry for the harm experienced by members of our community.”
None of the 47 people accused in the report is currently employed by Interlochen. And owing to the amount of time that has passed, about a third of those accused are now dead.
The investigation was initially focused on the 1960s and 70s. It expanded to all years of the Academy and then to Interlochen’s summer camp programs as more information came forward from alumni.
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“The information gathered during this investigation is, simply, devastating,” the investigators wrote in the opening pages. “Despite the deep and positive connections that many individuals expressed to the Investigative Team regarding Interlochen, some of these same individuals detailed the significant negative impact of the conduct that they reported.”
Interlochen has sent the names of those accused to the Grand Traverse County Prosecutor’s office.
OK2Say school safety tipline
Text: 652729
Call: 8-555-OK2SAY (855-565-2729)
RAINN
National Sexual Assault Hotline
