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Apartado 69-5655, Monteverde de Puntarenas, Costa Rica Telephone: (506) 2645-5053, 2645-5365; Fax: (506) 2645-5219

Email: info@mvinstitute.org Website: http://www.monteverde-institute.org/

January 28, 2014 To the Assembly of the Monteverde Institute, The Board of Directors of the Monteverde Institute would like to update you on the tragic incident that happened to a MVI student in late November and on the actions that we are taking to ensure the future safety of students. First and foremost, we express our deep sorrow regarding the assault and the pain that it has caused the student. The Board has taken this incident very seriously and has been working closely with our Executive Director, Debra Hamilton, since the beginning. Given the nature of the incident, legal counsel advised an internal investigation which found that, although actions taken were of good intent, established protocols were not followed. These protocols exist to ensure medical and emotional well-being, not just legal protection, for everyone involved. A situation like this required a team effort and those involved needed to follow emergency response procedures as designated by the students home institution. When two staff members did not follow these protocols, it created confusion among team members and hindered the Executive Directors ability to respond effectively. We would like to inform you, if you are not already aware, that several letters have been circulating via email and comments about this incident have been posted on one individuals blog site. Unfortunately, given social media's far reach, these controversial commentaries have reached some of our students, universities, and community members. We, the Board, feel that the allegations made against Debra Hamilton are unfair and not based on a full understanding of Monteverde Institute protocols, Title IX regulations, and both Costa Rican and International law. We have chosen not to respond publicly to these as we feel this is an internal and highly confidential matter. We regret if any of these correspondences have reached you. We are moving forward. Two working groups comprised of staff and board members have been formed, one to review our policies and procedures to make sure they are up to date and appropriate for our current circumstances, and the second to explore ways of creating more effective avenues of communication within the organization. We are learning from this unfortunate experience and, collectively, are creating a better response plan to protect the health and security of our students and staff.

We, the Board, want to assure you that Ms. Hamilton has consistently been professional in dealing with this situation, always with the well-being of the students and the Institute in mind. She has consulted both the Board and MVI lawyers at every critical juncture and has followed the strict protocols under which she is required to work. She is a caring and dynamic leader who has put her heart and soul into the betterment of the Monteverde Institute, its students, its staff, and the community in which we work and live. We have the utmost confidence in her abilities to lead the Institute and we look forward to working with her in the busy year ahead. We are using what we have learned from this incident to build a stronger institution. Sincerely, The Board of Directors of the Monteverde Institute
In va lid sign a tu re

X R . Bo d o in Sm ith
R a n da l B . Sm ith P re side n t Sign e d by: R a n da l Sm ith

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