Chapter 9 - Arthur’s job
Arthur was not dependent on our parents.
He worked as director of advancement at an elite private school outside Philadelphia.
Fundraising.
Donor relationships.
Events.
Public-facing.
Good salary.
Around $190,000 including bonus.
He was talented.
That complicated things.
People liked him professionally.
He remembered names.
Could make wealthy donors feel interesting.
Raised millions for scholarship and building campaigns.
He had never been accused of striking a student.
Important.
After the birthday incident, the school placed him on administrative leave.
Not because I demanded it.
A board member had been at the party.
Susan Keller.
She personally witnessed the aftermath but not the initial slap.
Once police charges became public through ordinary court records, the school initiated its own review.
Arthur’s lawyer accused me of orchestrating it.
I had not.
For once.
The review surfaced two workplace complaints I did not know about.
One:
Arthur slammed his palm against a conference table during an argument and told an employee:
“You don’t leave until I’m finished.”
The employee left anyway.
No physical blocking.
HR counseled him.
Second:
At a donor event, Arthur grabbed a junior staff member’s wrist after she attempted to take a wineglass from him when he appeared intoxicated.
He released immediately.
Apologized.
The employee declined formal action after a private meeting with HR.
No criminal conduct charged.
But pattern.
Aggression under frustration.
The school had treated each as isolated.
May you like
So had we.
Isolated events become a pattern only after someone bothers to put dates on one page.
