Pratt Closes Their Campus To Public
Hi and thanks for reading!
Get your daily dose of A Child Grows sent to your inbox free! Subscribe to our newsletter (email: achildgrows@aweber.com).
Birch at Pratt before they closed
I was completely saddened by the news yesterday that Pratt is closing their campus to visitors, as reported by The Local. Kate Briquelet writes, “After the renovations end in October, Pratt will return to its current, albeit formerly unenforced, public access policy that allows residents to pass through the campus to get from DeKalb to Willoughby but not to spend time.” Brownstoner also wrote about it today.
What??? I can’t imagine why the Pratt President Thomas F. Schutte and his board have instituted this. Well, actually I can, but I think they have started a public relations nightmare.
My letter from Pratt
People are wondering if it is a result of the recent horrible mugging of a Pratt student (off-campus). I don’t think so. I got a “Cease and Desist” letter from Pratt’s lawyers last April, 2008. They requested that I remove all references to them off this site: including listing them under Playgrounds/Parks and Outside Activities, Art Classes and any past events they had hosted (including one link to a juggling show they hosted that was also posted on www.gocitykids.com.) They didn’t stop there. They wanted me to remove any comments about Pratt that readers had made on my blog too. A few parents had commented saying how much they loved Pratt’s sculptures and the great environment there. At that point I had to get a lawyer. Then Pratt’s lawyers went away.
About 2 years ago I published an article in NY Family Magazine about how Pratt’s campus was a great place to bring your kids who are learning to walk (clean and cushy grass) and a place to teach your children about sculpture. I got permission and facts for the article from someone in Pratt’s Public Relations department. She said she would give me all the information for my article as long as I didn’t use her name. I have never divulged her name as I don’t want her to lose her job.
Let’s get Pratt to change their mind!
There is a way you can try and get Pratt to reconsider their decision:
The Clinton Hill Action Committee is organizing an intervention. Here is
the email if you want to give them a shout out: [email protected] (via Brownstoner.com)
