Cortez Not A Prep For Prep Student

I received an email today from Ed Boland, Director of Development & Public Affairs at Prep for Prep, regarding the Page Six article published Monday, January 16th, alleging that accused killer Paul Cortez had been a student in the program. Mr. Boland assured me that after a careful review of their records, they had determined that Paul Cortez never had any affiliation with Prep For Prep. I have no reason to doubt his word, and I am confident that Cortez was never involved with this fine program.

I have had the opportunity to meet several Prep For Prep students who had received summer internships at a major investment bank I used to work for. They were all outstanding young and men and women, intelligent, hard working, and extremely motivated to succeed. My high school here in NYC, where I am presently a trustee, regularly accepts a significant number of Prep For Prep students each year. I have heard only the most positive things about the students who were admitted through the good offices of this program.

At the request of Mr. Boland, I am deleting my original post quoting the inaccurate Page Six story. I would hope that Page SIx (who are usually right on the money in terms of accuracy and breaking fresh gossip first), would also print a prominent correction acknowledging their error.

I'd also like to thank filmmaker (and I assume Prep For Prep alumna) Abiola Abrams, for writing me to alert me to this error. If you'd like to see what kind of things Prep For Prep participants are capable of doing, just take a look at her web site.

If you would like to help support the work of this group whose mission is to identify and nurture outstanding young men and women from minority backgrounds to prepare them become part of the next generation of American leaders, visit their web site here.

In a related note, I have been informed that a dance scholarship is being established at Ohio State University in honor of Catherine Woods, who allegedly died at the hands of her estranged lover, Paul Cortez. OSU's web site does not yet have information about how to support this scholarship, but you can contact them via their main development page.

Update

Page Six did run a correction in today's NY Post:

January 21, 2006 -- THE administration at the posh Buckley School for boys on East 73rd Street is understandably embarrassed that its distinguished alumni include Paul Cortez, 24, who faces trial for the stabbing murder of his stripper girlfriend, Catherine Woods, and the rape of another woman a year ago. No wonder headmaster Greg O'Melia never returned our calls. But contrary to our report on Monday, Cortez was not part of the well-regarded Prep for Prep program, which puts high-achieving, underprivileged students through academic boot camp and places them in private schools. We regret the error.

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