Did you know there was an invitation-only preschool for two dozen kids in one of SF's biggest and most monied mansions? The NYT busts open a controversy happening quietly in the rarefied environs of the Getty compound in Pacific Heights, where for the past 14 years Ann Getty has sponsored something called The Playgroup, which is essentially an unlicensed, free preschool in their house. It's run by one Lonna Corder, "a glamorous woman in her mid-40s" who has a bachelor's in child psychology, and she's allegedly taken to diagnosing children with autism and at times kicking them out of the school when parents try to contradict her.

You can't apply to be in the Playgroup, but you basically get tapped if you're among the city's wealthiest families and/or a friend of the Gettys. And it would seem like a sweet deal! A fancy, free school, "decorated with room-size hand-hooked rugs depicting scenes of American history," with lunches made by a former Chez Panisse chef. But as Bay Citizen discovers, "The glamour, cachet and enviable facilities attract parents to the Playgroup, but for some it seems to have become a gilt trap." Corder has on multiple occasions informed parents that their children showed signs of Asperger's Syndrome or autism, only to have doctors say otherwise, creating dramatic situations for these well-to-do parents who have become scared to cross her.

You can bet the Gettys aren't happy seeing their name in print in association with this controversy. The family lawyer mentions they're trying to remedy the situation of not being a state-licensed facility, and perhaps Ms. Corder might be on the line after all this...