Legal calamities and the associated negative publicity pushed the impending execution of St. John’s Military School, echoed four members of the school’s board of trustees.

A number of civil cases brought against the school in recent decades, led to draining the St. John’s endowment as settlements were made to silence negativity.

But that didn’t happen. Media reports bombarded cyberspace, trustees said, and if the parent of a prospective cadet was curious about SJMS, it was just one Google search away.

Stories about the school’s bouts with the legal system soiled its reputation, they said, and drastically impacted enrollment.

“I would honestly say this was all caused by the lawsuits, 100 percent,” said Tom Pestinger, a local businessman who has served 12 years as a trustee.

“It’s a horrible thing for Salina,” he said. “It’s killing me.”

Read the full article at the Salina Journal online.