A private school headmaster disappeared from his home and was later found suffering a drug overdose at the family’s lake house after the Internal Revenue Service opened an alleged money-laundering investigation, according to reports.
Charles Cahn III, 56, who headed Connecticut’s prestigious Suffield Academy for 23 years, was placed on leave October 22 as the IRS investigated him for alleged tax fraud, shocking the local community where he was a prominent figure in the boarding school’s leadership.
A new report by the Boston Globe has now detailed the events surrounding Cahn’s departure from a position that paid him about $1 million a year.
The episode began October 21, when law enforcement agents arrived at the Suffield Academy campus intending to arrest him.
Cahn was not there, however, and he did not contact family members or friends for two days.
His wife eventually used location-tracking software and discovered that he was at the couple’s second home on a lake in Maine.
A Cumberland County sheriff’s deputy went to the property and found Cahn experiencing a drug overdose, according to the incident report.
The deputy reported that Cahn was lying in bed with “agonal and labored” breathing. A prescription pill bottle was found nearby, although it remains unclear what substance he allegedly took.
The officer administered two doses of Narcan, a medication that can counter the effects of certain drugs and reverse an overdose, saving Cahn’s life.
Charles Cahn, the headmaster of the prestigious Suffield Academy, is allegedly under an IRS investigation
Police said Cahn regained consciousness after receiving the two doses of Narcan and was taken to a hospital in nearby Bridgton, Maine.
The deputy who filed the report said he was surprised to learn the identity of the man he had treated. “I learned Charles was the headmaster of a very prestigious school in Connecticut… and was under investigation for money laundering,” the officer wrote.
Cahn resigned as Suffield’s principal on Sunday. In a statement, he said: “After careful reflection, I have decided to step down to focus on my health.”
The details of the IRS investigation have not been disclosed. However, the Boston Globe reported that Cahn was also being examined over his connections to a secretive Chinese company.
Public records show that Cahn and his wife, Hillary, 56, live in a $1.5 million residence on the Suffield Academy campus.
The school’s trustees placed Cahn on leave after learning that he was the subject of an IRS investigation.
The academy told members that its own finances were not being investigated. Police, however, said the inquiry also involved alleged discrepancies in Cahn’s personal wealth.
In an email to trustees, Board President Frederic Powers said Suffield Academy was “cooperating fully with the investigation.”
Records show Cahn lives in a $1.5 million home on the Suffield Academy campus with his wife, Hillary, 56, (center)
After learning about the probe, the school’s board placed Cahn on leave. His successor, Casey Bobo, has already assumed his duties
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Cahn, regarded by many as a transformational leader at the boarding school, had been expected to retire next summer.
During his tenure, Cahn became one of the highest-paid boarding school leaders in the country. Suffield Academy held a celebration honoring him just days before the announcement of his leave.
His sudden departure has stunned the school community, with parents saying they valued Cahn’s leadership of their children’s school.
Casey Bobo, who had previously been named Cahn’s successor, has taken over as principal. One parent told the Boston Globe of Cahn: “Everyone loved Charlie.”
After news of Cahn’s overdose emerged, Suffield Academy said it had hired a crisis public relations firm to help manage the situation.
“We understand that this announcement may raise questions, and we appreciate your understanding of the limits on what we can share,” Powers wrote in his email.
Cahn’s attorney, Duncan Levin, said his client had devoted 34 years to Suffield Academy.
“He loves the Suffield community and is proud of what he, the faculty, and the staff have built together,” Levin said. “As he steps down, he wants the school to be able to focus on its students.”
Cahn joined Suffield as an English teacher and lacrosse coach. In 2004, he was promoted to head of school at age 34
The New England academy, founded nearly two centuries ago, has up to 420 students. Annual tuition for boarding students is $79,400, and about one-fifth of the student body comes from overseas.
Cahn began at Suffield as an English teacher and lacrosse coach before advancing through the administration. He earned $1,124,088 during the 2024-25 fiscal year and received just over $1 million in both 2021-22 and 2020-21.
Before becoming head of school, Cahn served as director of admissions and dean of the faculty. He was promoted to head of school in 2004 at age 34.
Cahn met his wife, Hillary Rockwell, while they were both at the school.
The couple raised their two children on campus and became known as Suffield’s first family. Their photographs appeared in the academy’s promotional materials.
Cahn’s reputation as a successful fundraiser was often cited by the school as justification for his substantial compensation.
He helped oversee the transformation of Suffield’s 350-acre campus, including the construction of athletic facilities, a dining hall and academic buildings.
Cahn also traveled throughout the United States and internationally to raise money for the academy.
He had been scheduled to attend alumni events in Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, San Francisco, Boston and New York City.
The school had also drawn up extensive plans to honor Cahn and build on his legacy of fundraising success.
