Spotlight on abuse: Branches and Vine Cottage School, Dayton OH

Some time ago, Anglican Watch covered allegations of misconduct involving Daniel McClain, then the rector of St. Paul’s Dayton. These allegations ran the gamut, from bullying parishioners to an extramarital affair. Relatedly, one of the secondary players in the drama was Branches and Vine Cottage School, which McClain’s children attended.

The purpose of this post is to call out the school’s abusive conduct.

Specifically, at one point, school officials allegedly contacted Kate McClain, the boys’ mother, telling her that if this publication again mentioned the school, her sons would no longer be welcome there.

That threat is inherently abusive, and here’s why:

1. Most importantly, children are not pawns in a church’s impression management efforts. (Branches and Vine Cottage School is a ministry of Calvary South Dayton church.) Indeed, children are, by definition, innocent and deserve protection from adult conflicts.
2. While the school purports to follow Charlotte Mason teaching theories, a key concept for any broad-based liberal arts education is freedom of speech. When, as here, a school tries to tell an independent media outlet what it can or cannot cover, it undercuts the very foundation of its educational construct.
3. We’re not fans of triangulation. If Branches and Vine Cottage School has an issue with us — and our previous coverage of the school was entirely positive — the appropriate next step is to call or email us. Again, not an appropriate educational lesson for children enrolled at the school.
4. This publication will neither agree to censorship nor will it be complicit in the spiritual abuse of children by using them as pawns in a game of impression management.
5. We do not agree that the ends justify the means. Branches and Vine Cottage School may have many positive aspects, but if part of the paradigm requires abusing children, it’s time to take a pass.
6. While we recognize the logical fallacy of slippery slope arguments, the school’s approach portends further inappropriate efforts at control by school officials. What next? Telling parents their kids will be removed if the parents’ friends vote Democrat? Or have LGBTQ+ friends?
7. In addition to the inherent abusive nature of the school’s behavior, we are deeply suspicious of its fear of media coverage. Typically, people with nothing to hide don’t try to shut down media coverage. Thus, we suspect that there’s more to this issue than meets the eye, and we’re continuing to watch both the school and the church closely.

In the meantime, Anglican Watch supports free speech and First Amendment rights. Relatedly, we encourage parents to recognize that the First Amendment protects not only free speech, but also freedom of religion. When one right is abrogated, all First Amendment rights are put at risk.

Thus, we strongly recommend against enrolling students at Vines and Branch School. And we have deep reservations about Calvary South Dayton.