Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  06/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Please see attached.. Complaint by ***** ***** against New Covenant Schools Date of transaction: May 1, 2023 Amount paid: $3,000 Payee: ********* ******* Date of verbal agreement for part-time enrollment due to student's anxiety with ***** ************ and ***** ********: May 2, 2023 (see appointment email to solidify this) Original date of appointment to solidify contract in writing with ***** ********: May 3, 2023 Date of breach of contract/canceling above meeting/refusal to serve ******: May 3, 2023 (see unjustified banning email from **** ******) Date of stop payment on Bank ** ******* check #**** due to breach of contract refusal to serve ******: May 3, 2023, bank of first deposit, ***** ******** ****, refused payment due to stop payment May 4, 2023, despite being aware of the stop payment NCS fraudulently deposited the check into an alternate account at ***** ******

  Business response

  07/14/2023

  Response to Complaint from ***** ***** re: New Covenant SchoolsTo whom it may concern, New Covenant has been a member of the BBB for many years. I have been associated with the school for 25 years as the Headmaster, and to my knowledge this is the first complaint registered on our account.The ******* have been part of the New Covenant Community for over a decade. Their oldest daughter graduated from the school and the younger child is mentioned in the complaint. I can only address the complaint in part given that ***** has included claims about her daughter’s mental health which I cannot address here for reasons of confidentiality.The simple fact is that the *******, like all New Covenant families sign tuition contracts that automatically renew each January. Families are given an “opt-out” window if they wish to make changes to their school choice, of course, but the rolling enrollment contract is a convenience for all families and simplifies the process.  The nature of the contract is well known to *****, given that she has operated under it for years, a fact that she admits to be true, although she suggests otherwise.Under the contract, we assume the student will re-enroll, unless the parent withdraws. Failure to withdraw within a sequence of dates triggers partial responsibility for fulling the expected family contribution. This is common in private schools, which build budgets and make financial obligations to many people – especially teachers – based on the assumed commitment of parents. The school is often unable to replace a student who suddenly and without warning withdraws long after the school has made its own commitments.In the ******* case no indication regarding a possible withdrawal was made during the opt-out period, and no medical claims were presented to the school, then or previous to that time.  Long past the deadline for withdrawal without penalty, the child was suddenly withdrawn with no explanation. The partial payment was therefore due under the contract. A family member paid the balance, and the matter was over.***** desires to contest this, but our contracts are clear, and she will not prevail in court. She technically does not have standing because she did not personally pay the amount due. She did, however, fabricate claims in the last month of school about her daughter’s mental health about which I cannot comment for the reason mentioned above. I can say that the child finished the academic year enjoying her classmates, this, amidst several visits to the school in which ***** mistreated staff, and on one occasion, intruded into a staff member’s office in the absence of said staff person, violating the privacy of that space. The school is therefore unsympathetic to *****’s claims.***** is dissatisfied with this outcome, and has complained to the BBB, to the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) through whom we are accredited, and possibly elsewhere. Her public pledge has been to degrade the reputation of the school. New Covenant will begin its 33rd year of operation this fall. Our reputation in the community is stellar and hard-earned. We do not make our living by being mean to children or ungracious to parents. Thus, we absolutely deny the claims made in the referenced complaint.                                                                                          Sincerely,                                                                                          **** ******, Headmaster

  Business response

  07/14/2023

  Addendum:I wish to add in the matter of ***** ***** that she was banned from New Covenant premises after the incident mentioned in my response.  In my previous letter I noted that came to campus, insulted staff, and intruded into an unoccupied of the Chief Financial Officer.  ***** opened the desk drawers and rummaged through them, looking for what, we don't know.  This precipitated her exclusion from the school. **** ******

  Customer response

  07/27/2023

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. Hi Better Business Bureau Professional, Below please find my response to NCS' response to my complaint against them.Thank you, ********* ***** Company: New Covenant Schools Consumer: *****, ********* #********On May 2, ********* ***** and ***** ******** and ***** *********** entered into an anticipatory verbal contract to allocate funds paid by ********* ******* to part-time enrollment to accommodate ******’s severe anxiety/panic disorder caused by the unsupportive educational environment at NCS. On May 3, Mr. **** ****** sent an email, just prior to a meeting with ***** ******** that was scheduled to solidify the part-time enrollment plan for ******’s 2023/2024 academic school year, unjustifiably canceling the meeting, hastily thwarting the previous agreed upon part time enrollment contract, and needlessly banning ********* ***** from NCS campus stating she “did not sit” where she was asked to during her time on campus at May 2. This is apparently a ruse to shirk their responsibility as agreed upon on May2 to provide an appropriate education to ******, a child with severe anxiety/panic disorder. Since this time NCS has ignored ********* ******* attempt to amicably resolve this matter. In fact, in an attempt to gaslight ********* ***** and justify his hasty actions of banning ********* *****, Mr. ****** fabricated a story to the Better Business Bureau falsely accusing ********* of rummaging through a desk and insulting staff. These claims are blatantly falsified as the only room with a desk ********* entered was ***** ************** office and she followed ***** into the office, after meeting in the hall, sitting beside the desk that ***** was seated behind. In order to rummage through said desk as Mr. ****** claims ********* ***** would have to essentially climb atop of Ms. ************ to do so. Mr. ****** also falsely claimed that ********* ***** insulted staff. First and foremost, ********* ***** has no reason whatsoever to do so as a reasonable plan was in process to accommodate ******’s severe anxiety. In fact, ********* ***** was quite content and relieved that a plan was being established to support ******, ********* was quite complimentary of staff and interactions were positive in nature. Firstly, she complimented ******* daughter and her college major choice as a “great fit for her”. *********** interactions with ****** ****** were neutral, the initial brief conversation was mostly related to ******’s anxiety/****** was present during the entire other interaction. ********* also complimented ******* *******, thanking her for “being so kind” as she assisted in scheduling *********** meeting with Mr. ********. Due to the breach/thwart of contract by Mr. ******, ********* ******* stopped payment on the check on May 3. NCS immediately attempted to deposit the check (on May 3), despite refusing educational services to ******, the bank of first deposit, ***** ******** ****, refused to deposit the check (after contacting **** ** *******) and advised the NCS representative to “refer to maker”, rather than complying with this, the NCS representative proceeded to successfully and fraudulently deposit the funds in an alternate account at ***** ***** (although NCS had been advised that the check was stopped).We are requesting that this egregious wrong be rectified and that funds be returned to ********* ******* on or before August 11 via cashier’s check sent to her home at **** ****** ****** ******* ** ****** This will allow this issue to be put to rest prior to the start of the school year for both parties. Should this matter be adequately resolved, ********* *****, will see no reason to proceed with additional third party involvement. I am hopeful however, that NCS will be more supportive and compassionate in the future when educating children with anxiety/depression as this has been a very arduous and hurtful ordeal for ******, a child they were entrusted to educate from kindergarten and a current scholar/athlete in good academic and disciplinary standing.

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