In Loco Parentis: When Institutions Choose Reputation Over Children

NCSESAME to host special pre-release screening fundraiser

There is a phrase often used in education—in loco parentis.“In the place of a parent.”

It reflects a promise: that when families entrust their children to a school, that institution will protect them.

But what happens when that promise is broken?

The documentary In Loco Parentis confronts that question head-on—exposing not only abuse at two elite boarding schools, but the systems that allowed it to remain hidden for decades.

A Story Bigger Than One Survivor

At the center of the film is survivor Hilary Mullins, who speaks publicly for the first time after years of silence enforced by a nondisclosure agreement.

Her story is powerful. But it is not isolated.

Through survivor testimony, interviews, and previously unseen documents, the film investigates abuse at The Hotchkiss School and Indian Mountain School—and reveals a pattern that extends far beyond any single institution:

• Reports dismissed or minimized

• Survivors silenced or ignored

• Institutional decisions driven by reputation, not safety

This is not just a story about what happened. It is a story about how it was allowed to happen.

The System Behind the Silence

What makes In Loco Parentis so compelling—and so necessary—is that it does not stop at individual wrongdoing.

It exposes the machinery that sustains abuse:

• Non-disclosure agreements that prevent survivors from speaking

• Institutional risk management strategies that prioritize liability over truth

• Cultural deference to prestige and power

• The quiet complicity of systems designed to avoid scandal

These are not anomalies. They are patterns.

A Conversation We Can’t Avoid

That is why NCSESAME is partnering with the filmmakers to host an exclusive pre-release screening and live panel discussion.

This is more than a viewing—it is an opportunity to engage directly with the people behind the investigation and to explore what accountability should look like moving forward.

How the event works:

• A 72-hour streaming window to watch the film at home

• A live panel discussion with the filmmakers

• A deeper conversation about prevention, accountability, and survivor support

As shared in outreach to supporters, this event is designed to “expand awareness and deepen conversations about prevention and accountability.”

Tickets range from $10 to $50, with the option to donate more in support of NCSESAME’s work to expose abuse, support survivors, and strengthen accountability in institutions that serve children.

Buy your tickets here.