Response to Courier Journal Articles
We are Reviving Hope, an organization made up of former students from Highlands Latin School who are dedicated to empowering and uplifting the voices of those who have been mistreated and abused by Highlands Latin School, its sister schools, and its publishing arm, Memoria Press.
We are deeply saddened by the severity of the abuse allegations described in the Courier Journal’s multi-part series and its latest article, and our hearts go out to the survivors. Mingled with this sadness, however, is hope.
Many of us had lost hope that the mistreatment and abuse we personally experienced during our time at Highlands Latin School would ever be a product of public scrutiny. Even after leaving the school, we have heard nearly identical, and some even worse, stories from younger students and have felt utterly powerless to protect these children. We would ask ourselves, ‘What if we came forward?’ ‘Would we even be believed?’ ‘Would people even care?’. Our minds’ responses were never affirmative. However, watching the public engaging with survivors’ stories has revived our hope that something can, in fact, be done, and if something can be done to protect children, how can we remain silent?
To this end, we have developed the Reviving Hope Project, which has three objectives:
Encouragement: We seek to uplift the voices of survivors and want to encourage those who are willing and able to share their stories. Reviving Hope will post stories submitted by survivors on our website. Those who are interested in sharing can reach out to our team by visiting the contact page on our website.
Transparency: We believe that when serious allegations are raised in a school setting, transparency into how these allegations are being investigated is critical to protecting children’s safety. To this end, we call on Brian Lowe and Highlands Latin School to initiate an independent assessment of the culture, structure, and policies of Highlands Latin as it relates to concerns of abuse, by a qualified ethics and compliance firm that is not in a privileged relationship with Highlands Latin.
We ask that this assessment include the ability for survivors to report abuse or submit information confidentially to the assessing firm and that the firm be empowered to investigate any allegations of sexual assault or potentially criminal physical abuse, should any such allegations be submitted. We are willing to provide multiple firm recommendations and to assist in fundraising to cover the cost.
Accountability: We believe that credible abuse allegations should be responded to appropriately and that institutions should take accountability. We ask that Brian Lowe and Highlands Latin School perform the independent assessment in good faith, make the results of this assessment accessible to the public, and take accountability by implementing appropriate measures to protect children based on the results of the assessment.
The Reviving Hope Project is not a personal attack on Highlands Latin School, Memoria Press, or the Lowe family. We believe the objectives we have laid out are relevant in any case where allegations of abuse and mistreatment of children are raised, as the safety of children is paramount. Furthermore, the Reviving Hope team recognizes the value in several of the principles that Highlands Latin School taught us and asks that Highlands Latin School uphold these values: to tell the truth, to clean up the messes we make, and to not make excuses for our wrong actions, but instead to admit them.
The Reviving Hope Project is not affiliated with any political organization. Reviving Hope recognizes that Amendment 2 is currently a key political issue within Kentucky, but asks that people please refrain from politicizing survivors’ stories. Highlands Latin School is a singular private institution and should not be used to represent all private schools in Kentucky in order to endorse or attack Amendment 2. Furthermore, serious allegations of abuse are not specific to public or private schools and should be appropriately investigated in either case.
The Reviving Hope Project is also not an attack on Christianity. Many of our team members are Christian, and the team members who are no longer Christian still uphold many of the principles and truths we were taught in our religious upbringing. At HLS, we regularly recited the HLS Student Code of Conduct. We still believe in many of these as life virtues, and we call on HLS to join us in living out them out through pursuing an independent investigation:
“We tell the truth.” No one should have anything to fear about an independent investigation. “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors, there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14).
Seeking truth does not tarnish the reputation of Christ; it’s following his example, as the Bible calls us to “speak the truth in love” (Eph 4:15) and to gird ourselves with the “belt of truth” (Eph 6:14). It calls us to “have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph 5:11).
Truth also shows us our next right step: if these allegations are false, Louisville families have the confidence of knowing that HLS is indeed a safe place to send their children; and if they are true, what steps need to be taken to restore that safety.
“We love and honor one another.” Seeking an assessment is not a political issue: it’s loving our neighbor. Everyone is valuable and worthy of safety and dignity. When we truly “consider others more important than ourselves” (Philippians 2:3-4), we will grieve to hear of others suffering and long to do what we can to relieve it:
“Speak up for those who have no voice,
for the justice of all who are dispossessed.
Speak up, judge righteously,
and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.” (Pr 31:8-10)As in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37), we imitate the character of Christ by seeking the good of our suffering neighbor, no matter who they are - regardless of political affiliation, cultural differences, gender, race, or religiosity. “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).
“We will not make excuses for our wrong actions but will admit them,” and “If we make a mess, we clean it up.” Instead of distracting from wrong actions by commenting that these issues affect other schools, too, or using all-or-nothing statements calling these allegations an attack on Christianity or private schools, if harm has been discovered to have occurred, we ask that HLS confess it and ask forgiveness, contribute to the healing of those who were harmed, and with their help, put measures in place to guard against harming others in the future, recognizing every child’s right to safety. It’s okay not to know what to do when allegations come forth, but as we were taught at HLS, we still believe that what is done next matters most. “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Pr 28:13).
We invite HLS to embody the character of Christ in how they respond to the allegations that have been made, and to fulfill these Biblical principles which they taught us, fulfilling the school’s original vision of growing in knowledge, wisdom and love; “in all that we do, seeking to engender a love for the good, the true, and the beautiful”; “using our gifts in the service of others, for the glory of Christ and his church.”
- Reviving Hope
The Reviving Hope Project amplifies the voices of survivors on their healing journey and advocates for transparency and accountability when looking into allegations of abuse or mistreatment in any academic institution. We are focusing at this time on Highlands Latin School.
