Hyde School Coverage Missed The Mark

Publication	Portland Press Herald
Author	Peter D. St. Phillip Jr. - Letter Submission
Publication Date	July 21, 2025
Link to Article	https://www.pressherald.com/2025/07/21/hyde-school-coverage-missed-the-mark-letter/

A Hyde School Parent Perspective

This is a letter from Peter D. St. Phillip Jr., a Hyde School parent, originally published in the Portland Press Herald. He responds to media portrayal of Hyde and reflects on what character, truth, and ethics have meant in his family’s experience.

Hyde School Parent Story

As a parent of a current Hyde School student, I lament your paper’s descent into sensationalism in its reporting of the lawsuit filed against the school. If our society equates requiring our children to perform light chores around the house or yard with forced labor trafficking, we should all be evaluating where we lost our common sense along the way.

Many secondary schools claim to offer parents an opportunity for their children to acquire the knowledge and experience necessary to succeed as adults. Some of these schools operate as businesses that collect tuition with only fleeting interest in the well-being of the children under their care.

Results in the classroom and on the athletic fields are primary; the heart and character of the child are seldom measured, nor are they often even evaluated. And let’s hope our young son or daughter, attending such a school, doesn’t step over a line in a lapse of judgment — that stain on the institution’s reputation often results in swift excommunication by expulsion.

The Hyde School offers parents something far more meaningful — the ability to grow with their children in an intensive journey to discover their unique potential in life. Hyde doesn’t give up on its students. Above everything else, it prioritizes character, truth and ethics. In my experience, every single Hyde employee I’ve met shares the goal of mentoring my son and helping him grow into a decent man of values. Our world needs more schools like Hyde.

The Lasting Impact of a Hyde School Education

Hyde Voices shares authentic perspectives from Hyde School alumni, parents, and staff. Each story demonstrates how Hyde School’s focus on truth, growth, and character creates lasting change. Explore more Hyde School stories, share your own reflection, or learn more about the school itself at the Hyde School website.