Yes, I knew Mr. Hindle very well. I got to know him because he was the dorm master where most of my close friends lived, so I spent a lot of time on his hall. My friends and I thought he was great.
I used to go to Mr. Hindle for help on my math homework because he not only taught me the material, but made it interesting as well. He inspired me to pursue math and sciences in college.
As far as how the school is handling the situation, they are taking the appropriate actions. This is a tragic situation since Mr. Hindle was an inspiring teacher to so many students. However, these actions that have come to light must not be ignored, no matter how well respected Mr. Hindle was.
Deerfield is appropriately bringing this to the attention to students and alumni, regardless of the tragic nature of the situation.
By a member of the Class of 1980*
I graduated from DA in 1986. I knew Mr. Hindle mostly through soccer. I never had him as a teacher. He was well respected as a teacher and school leader; that being said, I was not surprised by the report.
I also knew Mr. Lambert–he was my dorm master and very well regarded as an educator, but again, I was not surprised by the report with regard to his behavior.
There was a lot of inappropriate behavior at the school during the years I was there. I am glad to see the school is addressing this issue, even after all these years. I think the school is doing the best they can and being as transparent as they can be.
By a member of the class of 1986*
Secret Societies in prep school are just adolescent shenanigans. There is probably not much the Academy can do to stop them except set standards of disapproval, and critique. In the 1950’s members of the class of 1952 formed an irrepressible group called the Boy Scouts; we were a bunch of clowns to whom Frank Boyden wisely assigned a ” faculty advisor”, Frank “Rocks” Conklin who irregularly have the Scouts over for cake and punch. I think some maybe not all of us grew up after graduation. Paul Buckwalter, 1952
Mr. Hindel/Lambert were not the only ones. I remember at one of the reunions that a female student commented that the computer science teacher had an infatuation with her and told her something along the lines of how he wanted to be with her and dreamed about it. I do not know if there was any inappropriate contact or if she was the only one.
The teacher was basically forced out and left the school to go back for his masters. I do not remember the female student’s name.