Terrible experience that I would not recommend to anyone!! Buyer beware! Add to this the fact that we paid the school $60,000+ for this horrible experience. The school is run horribly, the board and leadership is corrupted, they sell influence at the school and do favors for donors and board members. It's run like a private club, the biggest donors get the best experience and bend over backwards for them. A corrupt political system.
Certain parents pay to have their kids on sports teams and named Captain and named homecoming King and Queen - these are all bought and sold by the school and you have parents willing to do that to get their kid into an elite university - it's really sick.
School leadership approves of cheating and breaking CIF rules to create a good brand image (winning), they recruit athletes. They don't follow the sit out period and transfer rules of the CIF - they submit false "move" paperwork to bypass the 4 game sit out period.
This school needs accountability!
Behind its Christian branding, we encountered harassment, favoritism, retaliation, and no accountability.
In 2022, after raising concerns about unethical athletic practices -- including suspected CIF violations and favoritism toward families with board or donor ties -- our sons were suddenly quarantined for weeks despite repeated negative COVID tests. Others in similar situations returned to class immediately. It was clear we were being targeted.
When we asked for answers, Head of School John Rouse threatened to remove our children and required months of meetings while he spoke about his rough childhood. One son was allowed to stay; the other was not allowed to return without cause.
We later learned that board member Bill Shupper and his son staff member Matt Shupper (director of admissions) had direct influence over the football program. This was bought and paid for it by his donations - corruption disguised as "generosity." Our younger son, a talented athlete, played the same position as their son/grandson and was much better!
Recruitment for our oldest son was then sabotaged. A UCLA recruiter confirmed a campus visit after watching his film, but the school denied the visit even happened. Coach Rand Holdren lied right to our face. The school also withheld transcripts from a top-choice university, confirmed in writing after the university reached out multiple times. Dan Newkirk principal, response: "nothing actionable here" while he illegally recorded my conversation with him without my permission which is a crime.
Faculty, students, and parents stay silent and listen to the school's lies and manipulation of the situation to cover themselves. Leadership privately admitted our sons "did nothing wrong," yet delayed communication for months and changed their story repeatedly.
The retaliation continued. Our daughter - one of 14 friends applying to the school - was the only one denied admission after MHS staff spread false information about our family AND to other schools to cover their lies. She was forced to homeschool for a year.
Then they took our son who graduated from here off the alumni list because we said something they didn't like. The school leadership silences detractors, censors you if you say things they don't like, they don't believe in free speech they don't believe in open dialogue. They believe they are right about everything and you can say nothing. You have no rights at this school. A dictatorship.
When we posted an honest review, the school retaliated again. Aggressively getting Google and change.org to take down petitions and reviews through legal action instead of just making the situation right. Staff shared private and false financial info with strangers and manipulated records to make it appear we owed money, even though our account was paid in full.
Then "CFO" Lisa Tomason inserted herself in a situation she knows nothing about and offered to go "line by line" with a complete stranger - slander. These people are corrupt to the core, prideful, arrogant in every way.
They love money so if you give to them they will give you and your student special treatment and you'll be a celebrity to the leadership. It's sick.
The leadership has very fragile egos so if you don't like something they do don't say anything and be careful, they will lash out on you and all gang up on you! Maranatha leadership mafia. That leadership now consists of brothers-in-law serving as head of school and principal, chief of staff, CFO, baseball coach, football coach and board members.
MHS claims to uphold Christian values but chose image and power over truth. Our children's education and athletics were harmed because we spoke up. MHS staff then lied and continues to lie to others in the school community about why they engaged in this malicious behavior!
Instead of addressing the issues which we would welcome, MHS ignores us and is now asking other people to leave reviews which is unethical!
Please contact me.
