Suffield Head Placed on Leave Amid IRS Investigation

Suffield Academy put Charles Cahn III on immediate leave on October 22, after learning that the IRS was investigating him. Cahn had led the Connecticut boarding school for 22 years and had been expected to step down when the 2026-27 school year ended. Casey Bobo, his previously named successor, has taken over his duties.

The school has told board members that the investigation concerns Cahn’s personal finances, not Suffield’s, and that it is assisting the IRS by sharing information. Board chair Frederic B. Powers declined to discuss the matter, calling it private. The school has hired a crisis public relations firm and has not provided further details about the investigation.

Parents and alumni have received little information since the announcement. An October 27 message from Bobo to the school community did not mention Cahn or the investigation, while rumors circulated on campus and among alumni. A parent of recent graduates said, “Everyone loved Charlie.” Cahn offered no comment when approached, and the IRS also did not comment.

Cahn began at Suffield as an English instructor and lacrosse team coach, became head of school in 2004 at age 34, and was widely credited with fundraising and campus development. The school says it spent $120 million on construction and renovations during his tenure. Its endowment topped $100 million last year, having doubled in six years.

His total compensation exceeded $1 million annually from 2020 through 2024, according to the school’s public tax filings. The school had recently held a celebration for Cahn and had planned alumni events in several US and Asian cities. Its announcement offered no details about what happens next in the investigation.