ESD’s Snazzy Menu Has its Day in Court

So we’re poring over the court documents Unfair Park posted Monday about Episcopal School of Dallas teacher Nathan Campbell’s alleged affair with a student. And for all its tragic elements, the story contains some amusing legal-speak.

My favorite note so far regards ESD’s claim of charitable immunity, which would allow it to cap damages at $500,000. Here, the plaintiff-family’s attorney compares a soup kitchen to the menu at the school’s $30 million wellness center (a building we’ve certainly crowed about on our sister site):

The contrast between a bona fide charity and what ESD does is stark. A classic example of a bona fide charity is a soup kitchen or food pantry that relies upon volunteers and raises money to perform the charitable function of feeding the poor of Dallas. Contrast that bona fide charity with ESD that raises and spends over $30 million to build a “Wellness” Center named after its Headmaster — not an essential and needed service for the use of the citizens of ‘Texas and local communities” — so that privileged students can eat in a fancy dining hall, select from a multitude of “organic” and “locally sourced” dining options, and decide whether on … Thursday they would like to eat for lunch “Pan-Roasted Pork Loin w/ Chasseur Sauce,” “Chicken Florentine w/Suprême Sauce,” or “Grilled Asparagus w/ Sauce Moutarde” from among the multitude of selections created by ESD’s Registered Dietitians.

The menu itself becomes an exhibit later. And you can see all that and more in the 200+ pages of documents that’re now online.

Want to cut to the chase? Pick up Friday’s issue of Park Cities People. In the meantime, here’s a refresher from last May.

By Georgia Fisher May. 25, 2011 | 8:19 am | 3 Comments | Comments RSS
3 comments to "ESD's Snazzy Menu Has its Day in Court"
  1. Parent @ June 1, 2011 at 11:08 am
    After reading through these and other documents on the case, it sickened me to recall the horrible posts some (alleged) ESD parents and students made about the victim.

    Many of these parents spend 25K per child/year at ESD and become so emotionally and financially invested in the school from parent teacher events, voluteering, after school/sports, social networking – that their own self-worth becomes tied to the school. A school which is mediocre, at best, when compared with other Dallas privates (Ursuline, Hockaday, St. Marks, etc.) and with some public schools (Math/Sci magnet, for instance)

    Any criticism of the school stings them like a direct attack on themselves.

    That’s the only explanation I can come up with for the absolutely disgusting ‘blame the victim’ posts made here and on the DMN and Dallas Observer sites.

    After looking through the testimony and deposition snippets, I have nothing but absolute sympathy for this CHILD who was (allegedly) groomed for months by this teacher. Beginning with compliments, then requests for 1:1 tutoring in his office, then touching, then inappropriate comments and on and on – she can ONLY be described as a victim who will pay for the crimes of the teacher for the rest of her life.

    You ESD parents who feel the need to attack the victim – who could have been YOUR child – need professional help. You’re freakin’ sick the lot of you…

  2. XT @ June 1, 2011 at 11:57 am
    Agreed. The fact is that an adult in a position of authority abused his influence to seduce a teenager and committ statuatory rape. Any rationalization of this by other “adults” is disgusting.

    These same “adults” would be embarrassed if this happened to their daughter, rather than outraged, because their status is more important to them than their children.

  3. Jane Doe 1987-89 @ August 21, 2011 at 10:46 am
    This is not the first time something like this has happend. (We all know this) I had a teacher from one of the schools listed above groom me by making me things, like a miror to admire myself in. He brought me homemade sweets and touched me regularly. When I did not kiss him, it was over. Well until he and his wife came to my graduation party and he is hugging me and touching my breast in the picture. (He still works there!)

    I am one of the lucky ones.

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