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CNN Saturday Night
Facing the Music?
Aired January 10, 2004 - 22:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The man who founded a cultural cornerstone in New York City is being asked to leave the institution he created. He is accused of complicity in a sex abuse scandal at the Harlem Boys Choir.
CNN's Adaora Udoji has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No one doubts Dr. Walter Turnbull's music triumphs. He has built the Boys Choir of Harlem into an internationally renowned symbol of New York City. The issue now is his judgment.
School district investigators say he and his brother Horace Turnbull, the choir's vice president, should resign, accusing them of ignoring claims by a 13-year old student he was molested by a counselor.
RICHARD CONDON, NYC SPECIAL COMMISSION OF INVESTIGATION: They took no action on these allegations of abuse.
UDOJI: The counselor, Frank Jones, was ultimately convicted of 24 counts of sexual abuse against that student. But before his prosecution, investigators say the Turnbulls forced the accuser out of the choir, and allowed Jones to continue supervising overnight trips.
CONDON: On at least 60 different nights, he was in charge of chaperoning the students, even though he had been banned from the school.
WALTER TURNBULL, DR., FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF BOYS CHOIR OF HARLEM: How we handled it was not correct. But I based it on basically on the information that I had at the time.
UDOJI: The choir's board of directors have asked Dr. Turnbull to resign. He wants them to reconsider.
TURNBULL: As I said before, that going forward, that we should make sure that we have all of the things in place to see that that never happens again.
UDOJI: Some devoted parents and students have faith he can make the changes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We support Dr. Turnbull wholeheartedly. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And our kids are proof of the success.
BRAUCK BUSHER, BOYS CHOIR STUDENT: I've been nurtured in the school. And the upbringing that they've given me is really important.
UDOJI: Schuyler Chapin, a former New York Commissioner of Cultural Affairs says Dr. Turnbull should bring in a successor for the choir.
SCHUYLER CHAPIN, FORMER COMMISSIONER ON NY DEPT. OF CULT. AFF.: It's an invaluable cultural statement. And one hopes that Mr. Turnbull will realize in order for this to continue, he has to step aside.
UDOJI: New York's board of education funds the exclusive school connected with the choir. If the Turnbulls do not resign, investigators say the school's funding should be cut. That would be a devastating blow to the financially shaky institution and a blow to the city's tradition of music.
Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 10, 2004 - 22:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The man who founded a cultural cornerstone in New York City is being asked to leave the institution he created. He is accused of complicity in a sex abuse scandal at the Harlem Boys Choir.
CNN's Adaora Udoji has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No one doubts Dr. Walter Turnbull's music triumphs. He has built the Boys Choir of Harlem into an internationally renowned symbol of New York City. The issue now is his judgment.
School district investigators say he and his brother Horace Turnbull, the choir's vice president, should resign, accusing them of ignoring claims by a 13-year old student he was molested by a counselor.
RICHARD CONDON, NYC SPECIAL COMMISSION OF INVESTIGATION: They took no action on these allegations of abuse.
UDOJI: The counselor, Frank Jones, was ultimately convicted of 24 counts of sexual abuse against that student. But before his prosecution, investigators say the Turnbulls forced the accuser out of the choir, and allowed Jones to continue supervising overnight trips.
CONDON: On at least 60 different nights, he was in charge of chaperoning the students, even though he had been banned from the school.
WALTER TURNBULL, DR., FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF BOYS CHOIR OF HARLEM: How we handled it was not correct. But I based it on basically on the information that I had at the time.
UDOJI: The choir's board of directors have asked Dr. Turnbull to resign. He wants them to reconsider.
TURNBULL: As I said before, that going forward, that we should make sure that we have all of the things in place to see that that never happens again.
UDOJI: Some devoted parents and students have faith he can make the changes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We support Dr. Turnbull wholeheartedly. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And our kids are proof of the success.
BRAUCK BUSHER, BOYS CHOIR STUDENT: I've been nurtured in the school. And the upbringing that they've given me is really important.
UDOJI: Schuyler Chapin, a former New York Commissioner of Cultural Affairs says Dr. Turnbull should bring in a successor for the choir.
SCHUYLER CHAPIN, FORMER COMMISSIONER ON NY DEPT. OF CULT. AFF.: It's an invaluable cultural statement. And one hopes that Mr. Turnbull will realize in order for this to continue, he has to step aside.
UDOJI: New York's board of education funds the exclusive school connected with the choir. If the Turnbulls do not resign, investigators say the school's funding should be cut. That would be a devastating blow to the financially shaky institution and a blow to the city's tradition of music.
Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
