Last week someone drew my attention to a press release on Global Newswire (archived here). The headline: “Bill Hutchinson Strengthens Educational Access with Transformative Gift to St. Philip’s School and Community Center.”
I found that news hard to process because Hutchinson is such a problematic source of donations. In 2021, we published a lengthy story about him titled “The End of a Playboy.” Subhead: “As developer and reality show star Bill Hutchinson faces accusations of sexually assaulting young women, he has lost control of his carefully crafted persona.” Then, in April of last year, he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl at his Laguna Beach vacation home. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Hutchinson must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
On Thursday, I contacted St. Philip’s and asked them to help me understand what was going on. I asked if they knew Hutchinson is a registered sex offender and that his victim was a minor…