“If the administration was genuinely serious about ‘diversity,’ it would not insist on the indoctrination of its students, and their families, to a single mindset, most reminiscent of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Instead, the school would foster an environment of intellectual openness and freedom of thought.” He criticized the school for gutting the traditional curriculum and censoring books while repeatedly telling parents that its first priority is the “safety” of the children. “For goodness sake, Brearley is a school, not a hospital!” he wrote.

A father fed up with an elite Manhattan prep school’s heavy-handed focus on race won’t re-enroll his daughter in the fall, accusing the school of trying to “brainwash” kids with woke philosophies rather than teaching them how to think on their own.

In a scathing 1,700-word letter Andrew Gutmann mailed to 650 families — a screed since gone viral —  he blasted the posh, all-girls Brearley School’s “cowardly and appalling lack of leadership [for] appeasing an anti-intellectual, illiberal mob.”

The April 13 missive  —  published this week on journalist  Bari Weiss’  blog —  became public the same day the headmaster of the famed Dalton School resigned over controversial “anti-racism”  curriculum and policies that had outraged many parents.

Chelsea Clinton, Tina Fey, Drew Barrymore and Steve Martin are among those with daughters enrolled at Brearley. Tuition is $54,000 per year. Famous alumnae of the 761-student, K-12 school include Caroline Kennedy, Jill Clayburgh, Téa Leoni and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.

Gutmann’s treatise listed 10 “objections” and generally decried the Upper East Side institution’s obsession with race.

“By viewing every element of education, every aspect of history, and every facet of society through the lens of skin color and race, we are desecrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” he wrote, saying the policies encourage kids to judge, and be judged, by the color of their skin.

He’s now waiting to see if the school will allow his 12-year-old daughter to finish out the year. She’s been there since kindergarten and hopes to stay until June to complete the sixth grade. Gutmann asked that the Post not identify his daughter.

“She hasn’t been brainwashed yet by the school — but she’s had me at home,” Gutmann said Saturday. “I’m not so sure that’s true of the other kids.”

Gutmann, a wealthy former investment banker who now heads his family’s chemical business, does not regret writing the letter.

He said he grew increasingly concerned and frustrated by what he saw happening at the school. Last year he refused to sign the school’s anti-racism pledge. “I thought they were going to kick my daughter out then,” Gutmann said. “They didn’t but next year they have the pledge built into the yearly school contract.”

The pledge asks that parents of prospective students explain how their family’s values align with the school’s “commitment to creating an anti-racist and inclusive school community.” The application also states that the school “requires all members, including at least one parent/guardian, to participate in required anti-racist training and ongoing reflection.”

Gutmann said it was all too much for him and he finally put his pen to paper

“Someone had to do it,” he said. “Someone had to light the match. Everyone’s so afraid of cancel culture. We’re going to destroy the city, we’re going to destroy the country.”
Gutmann said the school managed to sneak in the increased emphasis on race during the pandemic when everyone was distracted. He said the once-rigorous curriculum completely changed over the summer.

“I don’t know who’s really driving this and nobody does,” he said.

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