A-money T ’25
Elizabeth Fleischer ’25
Coming as no surprise to the EA faculty and student body, many upperclassmen have recently been partaking in illegal sports betting under the guise of “no-stakes poker.” What’s more, Upper School Teacher Charles Bryant was held responsible for hosting an unknown amount of high-stakes games in his Behavioral Economics class, taking a cut of each hand. Bryant, having won a grand total of roughly $250,000 in his lifetime, hopes to carry on his legacy of poker through his F-block disciples.
When asked when he first began to encourage his students to place bets with real money in Behavioral Economics, Bryant pleaded the fifth. Students claim that they never received any forewarning before registering for the class, which begs the question of why previous students did not warn their peers of Bryant’s corruption. It is rumored that on the back of Bryant’s syllabus is an NDA stating students are not allowed to reveal any information on the poker games that take place, which they are forced to sign on the first day of class. When one of his students, Jack Logan ’24, threatened Bryant that he would go to Mr. Letts and Dr. Locke if he did not confess to his crimes, Logan found an envelope of cash in his locker the next day.
Photo courtesy of Mr. Charles “Chuck” Bryant, the defendent himself
Students revealed that as the class progressed over the course of the first semester, the buy-in increased. What started at $200 a game quickly rose to $400, and then $800 per game. Luka Filipovski ’25 explains, “I lost all of my money playing poker with Mr. Bryant. He told me to go all in, even though he didn’t know what my hand was, and as a result, I lost everything!”
Bryant seems to be indifferent to his students’ losses and is only concerned with protecting himself from any and all repercussions. He declined to answer any questions, nonchalantly saying, “Please direct all questions to my attorneys, Mrs. Aldridge and Mr. Schuh.” However, Aldrige and Schuh also declined to comment. This poses a serious question: how many other history teachers are his accomplices in defrauding students? It is possible that they have known about the plot the entire time and have been scheming ways to steal more money from the pockets of the Behavioral Economics students.
With the rise of modern technology, Bryant has created a program to allow students to participate in online gambling. With the help of Chuck McGrane, Director of Technology, the platform has spread to students outside of Behavioral Economics, specifically students in Schuh’s AP Economics classes. This extends far beyond poker games, and students are now able to place bets on EA sporting events. Recent varsity losses have raised concerns about whether or not winter athletes have been throwing games to win their bets.
The seniors, in particular, have taken a liking to in-school gambling and can be spotted playing blackjack or poker in the lounge. Although they claim no money is placed on these games, they have been using their senior privilege to visit ATMs during the school day.
Ultimately, the future of gambling at EA is questionable. As Bryant’s case rages onward, Head of Upper School Mike Letts and Greville Haslam Head of School Dr. T.J. Locke will have to fend against Bryant’s legal team in the History Department to put an end to such activities.