"There is an under-reported truth about sexual abuse: it occurs at alarming rates in boarding schools, and survivors of these abuses are often left silenced."
ABOUT
In the 1970s and 1980s, administrators at The Hotchkiss School and Indian Mountain School covered up the sexual abuse of dozens of children and teenagers at the hands of teachers, coaches, and headmasters. These schools reside two miles from one another in affluent Lakeville, CT.
Our film investigates who concealed these crimes—implicating former headmasters, former trustees, the local newspaper, and even insurance companies—and explores why boarding schools consistently choose to protect their reputations over the wellbeing of students.
Our story follows Hilary Mullins as she speaks for the first time after being released from an NDA that gagged her for two decades, signed after she was abused by two teachers while attending Hotchkiss in the 1970s. Now Hilary seeks reconciliation and resolution through meeting with former classmates and teachers, revisiting sites where she was abused, and even speaking out at public events held by Hotchkiss. But this is not just Hilary's story. This is story of survivors from both schools who have dealt with lifetimes of trauma stemming not only from the original abuse but also the continued failure of administrators to offer them legitimacy or support. It's a story about NDAs, insurance malfeasance, accountability, and the forces that stand in the way between institutions and choosing right over wrong.
Hilary showing an illustration of her abuse.
Why we made this film
For the past seven years, Director Joel Fendelman and Producer James Chase Sanchez have been working on this documentary. Their journey started in 2019 when Sanchez met Hilary Mullins at a party. What began with one person's traumatic story evolved into an investigation consisting of nearly a hundred interviews, tens of thousands of pages documents and court transcripts, years of earning the trust of survivors and alleged abusers, and a steadfast dedication to the truth.
While there have been documentaries exposing sexual abuse in universities, the military, and in Hollywood, this is one of the first documentaries to focus on boarding schools.
This story is needed now because the silence, the secrets, the NDAs, the insurance cottage industry....it all needs to end.
Watch the Film
The film is currently in post-production, with a world release planned for summer/fall 2026. Private pre-release screenings will take place in the spring. Join our mailing list to stay up to date.