Inside the Mind of a Teen: What Colleges Must Do in the Wake of the Lawrence Ray Case
By Ellie Dessart
News of Lawrence (Larry) Rayâs arrest recently broke following the federal investigation into claims of a cult that originated at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville.
Ray, the father of a former student, could face life in jail if convicted of the nine charges against him, which include sex trafficking, money laundering and extortion.
According to several reports, Ray moved into on-campus housing with his daughter and several of her roommates in 2010, later convincing them to live with him in his apartment on the Upper East Side. Presenting himself as a âfatherly figure,â he took advantage of their vulnerability and subjected them to years of psychological manipulation, as well as physical and emotional abuse.
According to New York Magazineâs âThe Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence,â which was the first to break the story last year, Ray offered âtherapyâ sessions to the students, forcing them to reveal intimate secrets about their personal lives and claimed he could help them. After earning their trust and conditioning their minds to his philosophies, he alienated them from their families and falsely accused them of damaging his property, extracting almost a million dollars over the course of eight years from the five victims.
When I first read this account, I was shocked and deeply disturbed. As a member of my high schoolâs swim team, I had practiced at Sarah Lawrence and competed in their pool. While you hear about the epidemic of sex trafficking in other countries, itâs unsettling to think something like this could happen so close to home.
With senior year coming to an end and college in the near future, students and parents are beginning to discuss safety concerns on university campuses. Of course, with this particular case in the headlines recently, those conversations have only intensified. As I learned more of the years of abuse and torment inflicted on his victims, I wondered how Ray could get away with it for nearly a decade.
Sarah Lawrence College President Cristle Collins Judd addressed this question in a letter to the campus community, revealing that âcollege officials at the time didnât knowâ what was transpiring.
Her answer isnât good enough. Not to the parents of current college students. Not to the families of the victims whose lives were destroyed. And certainly not to an 18-year-old girl preparing to leave home and entrust a new school with her safety. How could the Sarah Lawrence administration not know? What are they, and universities as a whole, going to do to prevent similar events in the future? What can we do as a community?
First, while itâs unrealistic for college administrators to know everything that happens on their campuses at all times, itâs reasonable to expect them to enact appropriate housing policies and strictly adhere to them. According to a recently published article by Lohud, âstudents are limited to no more than three consecutive nightsâ at Iona College in nearby New Rochelle. Further, at Pace University in Pleasantville, âstudent spaces are inspected throughout the semester to ensure that they arenât in violation of guest policies.â The adoption of similar regulations across all college campuses may help to achieve a balance between hospitality and student safety.
Second, itâs important to keep the conversation going. The talks we have now in anticipation of leaving for college shouldnât cease once we reach campus. Ray was able to take advantage of his victims because they were in need of guidance as they struggled with mental health issues and other relationship problems. To protect young individuals from falling prey to this, itâs crucial that schools provide a 24/7 support system, educate students on the signs of abusive behavior and try to keep the communication open.
Rayâs actions were sickening, and his case, unfortunately, exemplifies how the justice system canât always make up for someoneâs immorality. While he may be sentenced to life in prison, his victims and their families will never fully recover from the pain theyâve had to endure for nearly a decade.
However, if we work together, we can take this case as a lesson and move in the direction of safer communities for all.
Ellie Dessart is a senior at Bronxville High School. Her monthly column âInside the Mind of a Teenâ examines and addresses the issues pertaining to teenagers at both the local and global level.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martinâs archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/