Pursuing Vanity Over Student Safety

In August of 2022, The O’Neal School embarked on a significant rebranding effort focusing many of its resources on the newly constructed pavilion at the heart of Konni’s Courtyard. This architectural masterpiece was intended to symbolize a new era of unity and progress for the school. Details of this undertaking and the events surrounding it have been chronicled in ‘The O’Neal Magazine 2022 | Annual Report 2021-2022.’

“This month, O’Neal launched a new logo displayed throughout the campus and in our materials, including this magazine. The formal logo’s design, based on the beautiful pavilion in Konni’s Courtyard, was created as a community space for students and events, celebrating the School’s first 50 years. The structure at the center of campus unifies the divisions and symbolizes the vision of those who made the School what it is today. The new logo represents O’Neal’s next era and bright future.” – John Elmore

However, April 2023 unveiled a distressing truth when a child was assaulted near the gazebo. Lynda Acker, a key consultant for Konni’s Courtyard design, later revealed that surveillance cameras—a fundamental component of the original design—were omitted due to unresolved technical issues. She also acknowledged that supervision and monitoring in these areas were lacking. This admission highlights a significant oversight: despite having the financial resources, the school failed to implement essential safety measures before unveiling their new spectacle.

The financial statements from the 2021-2022 academic year reveal that the school had ample funding, with a total revenue exceeding $8.5 million and a surplus nearing $775,000. Therefore, the absence of critical safety measures cannot be attributed to financial shortcomings but rather to a distinct failure in prioritization.

While significant efforts were devoted toward celebrating the school’s milestones, such as a photo shoot for the magazine and newspaper, a special reception and dedication ceremony, and a marketing makeover, the safety of the central campus was overlooked.  Notably, the green space surrounding Konni’s Courtyard which was dedicated to John Elmore is the very area where these measures were neglected. Under his leadership, necessary security was implemented only after a student was assaulted, a full eight months following the completion of the central campus.

The administration’s attempts to conceal the assault and punish the victim for speaking out reveal a disregard for the welfare and dignity of the school community while also aiming to hide their mistake. Not only did they fail to proactively address the safety concerns, but when informed of the assault they chose not to report the incident to law enforcement.  The central campus, now a defining feature of The O’Neal School’s legacy, stands as a powerful reminder of this leadership’s shameful actions.