At Carson Long Military Academy, “choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong” is instilled from the first day. Ryan Estep ‘16 writes, “To me, it means that no matter what the situation is, as a leader I am obligated to make the right decision.” All Carson Long students enter at the same level. The very best become peer leaders. Mature beyond their years, cadet leaders at Carson Long Military Academy are responsible for leading and training their peers. Denzel DeJean ’15 provides this insight: “The hardest thing about being in charge of my peers is separating being friends from being a leader.” He shared the experience of initially bonding with some new students because he was fluent in their native language, only to have the relationship change when he had to assume a greater leadership role. Commenting on the unique role of peer leaders, Jun Yeol Choi ‘16 shares this wisdom, “Before I earned my leadership position, I thought being a leader was no different than being a follower. Leaders are definitely not born, they are made through overcoming adversities and learning from mistakes. Carson Long’s peer leaders are wise beyond their years. From Matt Wszolek ‘16, “What I’ve learned about myself is that I can take on more work and I can make a positive impact on others by using patience, cooperation, and dedication.” Our cadets have learned how to motivate, communicate, plan, and implement those plans. Carson Long isn’t quite ready to offer an MBA in Ethical Leadership, but our graduates are proof positive of the timelessness of our mission to inspire young men to strive for academic excellence, build strong character, and reach their highest potential as future responsible citizens and ethical leaders in a global community. Aaron Montgomery ’15 summarizes the philosophy behind that mission, “no matter how hard doing the right thing may be, it is always worth doing. What comes from righteous actions are good things and good people.”
A former cadet at one of the nation’s oldest military boarding schools has filed a lawsuit alleging that school employees ignored complaints in the late 1990s that he was being sexually abused by fellow students.
The 30-year-old former cadet alleges in the suit, filed on Nov 30 by Andreozzi & Associates, that he was repeatedly abused after joining Carson Long Military Academy in New Bloomfield when he was 13 years old.
On Tuesday, David Pearson, president and CEO of Carson Long Military Academy, denied the allegations.
“Carson Long denies the allegations and has no further comment on pending litigation,” he said.
The former cadet alleges that he moved into a dormitory at the all-boys school in September 1998 with boys of a similar age. However, after a few weeks, he was moved to a different floor with cadets several years older than he was.
Upon moving to a different floor, the former cadet alleges that the older students immediately subjected him to abuse, including placing their genitals in his face, inappropriate touching, and forced oral and anal intercourse.
The former cadet says that he complained to two teachers and a school counselor but no action was taken. He alleges that the abuse continued for seven months until he left the school in the spring of 1999.
The lawsuit alleges that the former cadet has suffered severe and permanent psychological injuries, including anxiety, depression, nightmares, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The lawsuit accuses the school of negligence for multiple reasons, including failure to respond to the former cadet’s complaints, failure to supervise students, and failure to train employees in identifying and reporting dangerous behavior.
Carson Long Military Academy was founded in 1836 as Bloomfield Academy. It currently has 81 students.
Guess that’s the definition of integrity