David Lourie’s Departure: Impact and Implications for Collegiate School

In the wake of upheaval at New York City’s prestigious Collegiate School, its head, David Lourie, has resigned from his position. Lourie, who has led the institution since 2020, will not be returning for the upcoming school year, as shared by Jonathan Youngwood, the president of Collegiate’s board of trustees, in an email to parents.

Recognizing the significant concerns and discussions among the school community, Youngwood described Lourie’s departure as a mutual decision between the board and Lourie in recent weeks.

Lourie’s resignation comes amidst a lawsuit filed against the school by Anna Carello, the associate head of school for academics, alleging gender discrimination. Carello accused Lourie and the school of neglecting the mistreatment of female staff members and disregarding concerns raised by the antisemitism task force following an attack on Israel.

Similar to many educational institutions across the U.S., Collegiate has been grappling with responding to the increase in antisemitic incidents. Tensions surfaced within the faculty regarding the handling of antisemitism-related issues, as detailed in reports by the New York Post.

In a separate communication, Lourie expressed optimism that a new head would offer a fresh perspective to the school amidst the current climate of uncertainty and disagreement. He conveyed his affection for the students and their achievements, expressing his commitment to continue supporting them albeit from a distance.

While Youngwood did not directly address the controversies surrounding Lourie’s departure in his message to parents, he assured them that the school would appoint an interim head and begin the search for a permanent replacement later in the year. Requests for comments from Lourie and the Collegiate School remained unanswered.