The arrest of a former Scarsdale High School, N.Y., dean of students this week for allegedly buying sex and cocaine came out of nowhere, a former student says.
"It's really a tragedy, and it's really upsetting," Ken Hershey, a 2009 Scarsdale graduate and current Yale student, told Business Insider.
Ex-dean of students David Mendelowitz, 58, was one of three accused "johns" who allegedly patronized a prostitution ring that spanned the tri-state area.
Hershey told BI that Mendelowitz – whose role was essentially that of a guidance counselor at the posh school – always seemed kind and approachable to those students who actually knew him.
While the ex-dean's arrest came as a shock to Hershey, there was at least one sign that something might be awry.
In June Mendelowitz retired abruptly after missing several weeks of school, Scarsdale10583.com reported at the time.
Hershey remembers reading that news article and being surprised by the news.
"He says he loved his job, and he acted like it," Hershey said, adding that his retirement seemed "spontaneous."
The former dean's publicly appointed attorney, Monroe Mann, said he has been instructed not to speak to reporters about the case.
SEE ALSO: Former Dean At Scarsdale High School Was Arrested In Huge Prostitution Ring >
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