Opinion: Open letter to Tabor Academy

To the editor:

Dear Head of School, Mr. Anthony Jaccaci:

The attached incident reports were filed by myself and Tabor Director Co-Curriculars and Athletics, Kelly Walker following an April 2023 afternoon on the water in Sippican Harbor in which another person and myself took my boat out to enjoy a warm spring afternoon on a boat ride and along the way decided watch the Tabor sailing practice, as several of our friends sail on the team. Following that afternoon we met some of the kids and talked with some of the parents from those families.

The incident reports provided by Michael Sudofsky to accompany his letter are attached to this story.

To begin we were disgusted by your assistant coaches behavior on the water and the accusation he made towards us. We were, further surprised and disgusted with Kelly Walker's report which she filed with the Marion police clearly an attempt to obfuscate facts, alter the tenor of the encounter and pass off the behavior of the Tabor Coach as somehow an appropriate response to two local sailors watching friends kids sail, and further disgusted by the various information provided to us during our conversations with the kids and parents. I take the opportunity here to remind you that sailing or boating on Sippican Harbor is a right for all and, considering the number of ways in which the residents and taxpayers of Marion directly or indirectly improve the lot for all involved, employed or study at Tabor, strongly suggest you have cultural and behavioral issues within your coaching staff.

We assume you have conducted a very thorough investigation of the conduct of your Assistant Sailing Coach, both on the water in my situation, as well as on the water later with the Tabor Sailing Team, and following on campus.

As an additional observation, your security guards find it appropriate to call the police on people who walk the turf, and have been shooing away student age kids from the fields. It is also common knowledge that Tabor has several additional ongoing inappropriate sexual conduct issues involving Tabor Staff and Tabor students, as well as a possible sexual predator on staff. I copy here and highlight several items from your “Important Update.”

The highlighted passages provided by Michael Sudofsky to accompany his letter are attached to this story.

Under these circumstances, and with the hope emerging from this crisis a sound, safe, and morally appropriate institution, I'm certain that The Board of Directors of Tabor Academy should be made aware of the extent to which you investigate the damage caused by Assistant Coach Connelly, and the extent of the cover up by Director Kelly.

I strongly urge you to get your house in order, and be prepared to attempt to remedy not only my situation, but most importantly the future safety of all Tabor Students.

Michael Sudofsky, Marion