French Broad River Academy-Girls Program

We have been huge advocates and supporters of French Broad River Academy for years now with our oldest daughter having been a part of the program since 6th grade. We were part of the Salamander "family" and it was the best we, as involved and concerned parents, could do for her at the time.

Well, that love, support, and "family" died on 12/15/18 at 10 am when the FBRA "leadership" team decided (via a phone call) to deny our youngest daughter admission after nearly 3 years of grooming her to believe she was already part of the 'Salamander Sisterhood'. And, no reason was ever given for turning her away. Obviously - important to understand for all parents new and enrolled - legacy is of NO concern to FBRA leadership (any of them!).

Our youngest was constantly following in her big sister's footsteps at FBRA. Attending every event, wearing their shirts, carrying their water bottles... waiting to be one of them!

Being well known to all staff at FBRA, and being encouraged by those at the girl's school with statements and reminders like "can't wait to see you in 6th grade", "you're going to have so much fun here", "you're going to love it here", "can't wait to have you", etc, were constant reminders of her inevitable involvement here.

In particular, many of these encouraging comments came from the head of the girls school (Jen Horschman) - the one who ultimately made the decision that our daughter was no longer good enough for FBRA.

The psychological trauma inflicted upon our 10 year old girl by the minds and mouths of those she trusted, admired, and wanted to be like... is reprehensible. No child should have to endure this kind of let down from those they hold in high esteem.

The destruction of our girl's dreams from the head of school was cold and calculated from a woman we held in high regard and admired over the years. The way she handled whole ordeal was nothing short of unprofessional at best. It has led to sleepless nights for months, anxiety, diminished self-esteem and self-worth, nervous tics, and more for our girl.

There has been not one single show of compassion, remorse, empathy, etc. from those in leadership at the school. In fact, most of our attempts to reach out (especially to the founder of the school - Will Yeiser) were met with - "we can set up a time to talk on Monday", "I have to coach my kids sports", "I have a holiday party", etc. This IS apparently how you treat family after you've maliciously wronged them... make them wait until normal business hours! Shameful... I used to admire these people that now drop their heads when they walk past us.

To boot - we, as as an involved school family, have brought, through fundraising efforts and direct student referrals, approximately $200K worth of business to FBRA over the past and future years. Some of which is our daughter's good friends having been accepted, and not her!

While I could go on, and understand entirely that I'm writing about my child not getting into a private school (which we feel extremely grateful for the opportunity to provide her) this is not about a first world problem like private school.

This IS about human nature, friendships, trust, respect, and understanding how your seemingly innocent remarks to a young child over time, coupled with ultimate actions in complete opposition to them, can have a devastating impact on their peace of mind and mental health. We know, we're living it every night!

She will prevail, of that I am certain. We are starting to finally see this as a blessing in disguise, she is finally moving on, and we are thankful she will not be under the leadership and care of those that cannot be trusted or respected.