And to think that I've been such a grump lately about Norwich Free Academy's recent foibles related to an assistant coach allegedly having sexual relations with a student, its subsequent failure to report, institutional hypocrisy, image protection and a school-driven "investigation" whose fraudulence was like the Eiffel Tower: You had to admire it for its size.

Turns out my anger has been misplaced.

I should have done a documentary instead.

Because here we are, essentially at the end now and at least three NFA administrators, including head of school David Klein, have taught a seminar on how to use the statue of limitations to your fullest advantage.

Imagine: The failure to report — the act of keeping quiet for long enough — allowed them to benefit from the statute of limitations. It's pure genius in its irony. Stay quiet long enough to hide behind a mechanism of the law that's operates on a clock.

The two-minute drill version: State's Attorney Michael L. Regan wrote recently explaining that while Norwich police sought four arrest warrants for NFA officials who had knowledge of the allegations regarding Anthony Facchini, the former assistant track coach, the statute of limitations on the charge of failure to report allegations of abuse of minors to the state Department of Children and Families, a Class A misdemeanor, had lapsed.

"The statute of limitations began to run on or about April 24, 2017 when the duty to report arose," Regan wrote in a letter to Norwich Police Chief Patrick Daley, "and would prohibit the issuance of a warrant after April 24, 2018."

He added, "The facts alleged in the warrants are insufficient to charge them with failure to report suspected child abuse in violation of Section 17a-101 (b)(1)(B). Based on my review of the materials submitted, I have concluded that we would be unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the actions of (three blacked out names) were willful or intentional or due to gross negligence."

It certainly helped the alleged perpetrators that diligent prosecution appears to be something of a nuisance in this corner of the world. The idea that Mr. Regan could not prove Mr. Klein's "willful, intentional or gross negligence" is absurd.

Mr. Klein is either ignorant of the law or guilty of ignoring it in the name of image protection. It defies common sense that Mr. Klein knew nothing of alleged deviant sexual behavior on his campus. Seems Mr. Regan just isn't very interested in pursuing this, especially after they have their fall guy, director of campus security Kevin Rodino.

When expediency trumps justice: On the next Oprah.

Several — and I mean several — NFA faculty and staff members have told me privately that Mr. Klein runs NFA based on fear and micromanagement. He knew of Facchini's alleged behavior. So did some of his chosen underlings. And they all got away with it, thanks to a Board of Trustees who couldn't identify the truth if it hit them upside the head with a discus, and the good fortune of Mr. Regan's inertia.

Want to know how NFA truly handled this?

Here's a gem from the Norwich Bulletin:

"Police first questioned Rodino in June 2018, after DCF told them about NFA's report of Facchini's involvement with the second student, the affidavit said. During the conversation, Assistant Campus Safety Director Stephany Bakoulis told detectives: 'We gave him a smack in the ass and told him to knock it off,' about Facchini and the first student in April 2017."

A smack on the ass.

Like this was one, big joke.

And you know what?

This is a big joke.

Except it's not funny, at least not to two young women. Or all the other female students on campus who have been voiceless through a truly sordid narrative.

Meanwhile, Mr.  Klein, again benefitting from the twists of irony, actually used two women — with whom several sources say he's had longstanding personality conflicts — as scapegoats. Denise Grant of NFA's Office of Curriculum and Instruction and Sue Hopkins-Terrell, head of the school's Physical and Health Education department, are still on paid administrative leave.

And the cavalry appears detained.

I've given up on NFA's faculty standing up for their colleagues and for what's right. Maybe I don't blame them. Most of them are scared they're next. And we all need our jobs.

It's just that Suzy Kassem, author of many novels, essays and poetry, once wrote this:

"Stand up to hypocrisy. If you don't, the hypocrites will teach. Stand up to ignorance, because if you don't, the ignorant will run free to spread ignorance like a disease. Stand up for truth. If you don't, then there is no truth to your existence. If you don't stand up for all that is right, then understand that you are part of the reason why there is so much wrong."

Too late for all that, apparently.

Sad.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro