|
Are our children safe at school?
With all the emphasis in Violence Prevention
focused on the School Shooter, it is sometimes easy to forget how many
students are left wounded by sexual assaults. After a 10 year-old was
raped as she waited for her bus, a brief search revealed that this was
not an isolated event. The search had to be limited to 10 days,
January 25 -February 5, 2007 and to sexual assaults at school. Many of
the incidents discovered and reported here happened earlier but came
to light in this short window. The results listed here remains
incomplete. It is obvious that sexual assaults at schools go
unreported, under-reported, delayed and sometimes reported as
something else. If you know of a sexual assault at a school, please
let Keys know via email. Please provide as much detail as possible and
reference any mention in the media.
01/25/07
ROGERS, AR -- A 10-year-old girl was abducted and raped on Eastside
Elementary School campus. It happened at about 7 am as the girl waited
for a connecting bus to her school, Old Wire Elementary about a mile
away. The school where the rape occurred does not open until 7:15 am
when teachers arrive for duty.
01/25/07
Hartford, CT – A 16 year-old student was grabbed near the tennis
courts at about 11 am. She was sexually assaulted and dropped off in
the city. She was acquainted with her attacker. Police and Hartford
School District officials report the victim was very helpful and
specific in her description of the attacker and the car she was in.
01/29/07
Barrie, ON – A 17 year old male is accused of raping or sexually
assaulting 11 girls at Bear Creek high school in Barrie. Eight girls
in grade 9 testified that he forced them into oral sex, or
intercourse. Most of the attacks occurred in the woods behind the
school.
One of the victims said “I don’t know if I
ever would have gone to police if I knew it would be dragged out like
this, It’s humiliating.”
01/30/07
Fort Collins, CO – A 48-year-old band teacher turned himself into the
Loveland Police Department today after being arrested for sexual
assault on a child by a person of trust. He is alleged to have had a
sexual relationship with a 17 year-old student.
01/31/07
San Antonio, TX -- A 1st grader at DeZavala Elementary School told
school officials he was raped in a school bathroom on January 12th.
The San Antonio School District and Texas Rangers released a sketch of
the man they believe may have sexually assaulted a child at an
elementary school. The man has a dark complexion, is average height
with a thin build and salt and pepper hair. He is also said to be
Spanish speaking.
01/31/07
Colorado Springs, CO – A 30 year-old former teacher at Brighton
Charter has surrendered for violating a court order. She is accused of
having sexual contact with a student, then violated a court order by
allegedly contacting the victim.
01/31/07
MISSION, CA — A 16 year old student was the victim of a violent sexual
assault at the
 hands
of a school district computer technician. The two “met” in an internet
chat room that eventually led to a real meeting and a sexual
relationship that lasted almost two years until its violent end this
week. Police believe the suspect is a sexual predator who spent a
great deal of time in enticing the student. He has been suspended by
the School District pending an internal investigation.
02/01/07
BLACKSTONE, MA - A Blackstone teacher has been suspended with pay for
more than two weeks after being charged with statutory rape. The 38
year-old 8th grade English teacher is charged with three counts of
statutory rape of a child, two counts of indecent assault and battery
of a child under 14 and three counts of indecent assault and battery
of a person 14 or over. Court records were sealed to protect the
identity of victims and details of the alleged crimes. The school
district superintendent notified parents of the teachers suspension
pending court proceedings.
02/01/07
KNOXVILLE, TN – Federal Investigators have arrested a high school
umpire and referee on charges of sexually assaulting children and
possession of child pornography. Court documents reveal that the
suspect has been a Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association
official for about five years and that he has confessed to sexual
contact with children. His confession includes sexually assaulting a
child while on camera then posting the assault to world wide web. The
investigation revealed that he has served time in Colorado for
sexually assaulting three 11 year-old boys. He lives within a half
mile of an elementary school.
02/02/07
Saugus, MA -- A Saugus High School junior was recuperating at a local
hospital after ingesting the date rape drug and collapsing in class. A
17-year-old classmate was later arrested by and charged with several
drug offenses and attempted poisoning. Details as to how the drug was
given or the intentions of the offender were not available.
02/02/07
Groveton, TX – A 17 year-old and two 15 year-old male students at
Groveton High School have been charged with aggravated sexual assault.
They are accused of taking a 13 year-old student into the school’s
field house where they assaulted her. The younger boys told police
that the girl wanted to have sex.
02/02/07
Urbana, IL – A 2nd grade teacher was arrested on charges of sexual
abuse of his students. Three 2nd grade girls were blindfolded and
played sexual games with their male teacher. – Urbana schools
Superintendent Gene Amberg said the district will look for ways to
strengthen its hiring process. He said he expects the district to be
sued over the incidents.
"I am responsible. The buck does stop here. There's no question about
it," he said in an interview Friday afternoon. Another school where he
previously taught has decided not to notify parents stating that they
never received any complaints while he taught there.
02/03/07
ALLENTOWN, PA -- A couple say their six-year-old son was raped by a
disturbed older student at an elementary school, and that school
officials failed to help him afterward. Their federal lawsuit states
that the 12-year-old suspect raped four first-grade boys in 2003 and
2004 before he was charged and sent to a juvenile facility. The
couple, who filed a John Doe suit to protect their son's identity,
charges that the Allentown School District was indifferent to the rape
on the day it happened and in the months afterward. They say they only
learned of it when their son told them at dismissal time, and that he
pointed out the attacker. The family is seeking 15 million dollars in
damages.
The district wants a federal judge to dismiss the suit, arguing
that federal law does not require schools to protect their students.
02/03/07
CHATTANOOGA, TN -- A female school bus driver has been charged on
accusation that she had sex with a teenage boy in Chattanooga. The bus
driver was 30 and the male student 15 at the time of the alleged
sexual misconduct. The investigation was initiated when a student
informed the School Resource Officer of the incident.
02/03/07
LOUISVILLE, KY – A Meyzeek Middle School student was pulled into an
alley and raped just a block from the school. The student had just
gotten off a public transportation bus and was walking the short
distance to school. Surveillance tapes from the bus show a man
following the student that police want to speak with. He is called a
person of interest.
02/03/07
Decatur, AL -- A student at Calhoun Community College was sexually
assaulted on campus while walking to class. The administration decided
not to notify the student body because they could not identify the
suspect. The victim saw her attacker at the campus library the next
day and reported to police. Defending their decision not to notify
students, an administration official said that the victim was not
being very cooperative.
02/04/07
Kirkland, WA – A junior ed special ed para-educator has filed a
complaint with the police alleging that a 13 year-old student sexually
and physically assaulted her in the school. According to her
complaint, she informed school officials but was told that she
provoked the student’s attack. Officials at the school and at the
district have refused comment citing privacy issues either with
Special Ed or with personnel regulations.
02/05/07
GROVE CITY, PA – Personnel from Grove City High School became
concerned about a student and reported their concerns to police. After
an investigation, a 44 year-old Grove City man was arrested Friday on
charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse related to
persons less than 13 years of age and less than 16 years, aggravated
indecent assault of juvenile and those less than 13 years of age,
sexual abuse of children involving video recording of sexual acts and
possessing child pornography and indecent assault.
02/05/07
Israel -- The head of the Education Ministry, called Sunday for the
permanent suspension of students who are guilty of sexual assault. The
Education Ministry is expected to approve the suggestion. Under the
proposed change in rules, any student found guilty of sexually
assaulting a fellow student can be expelled from school. Under the
current rules, a student who assaults another student can be suspended
for a maximum of four days.
02/05/07
Edmonton, Alberta -- A 23-year-old man has been arrested for
assaulting a child last month in Victoria School and a similar
incident downtown. The suspect has been charged with aggravated sexual
assault, choking to overcome resistance, uttering death threats,
sexual interference, assault, sexual assault and two counts of
unlawful confinement. He made his first court appearance this morning.
Sexual Assaults at school appear to be too common
and happen too often. Has your school done all it can to provide a
safer and secure learning environment for students and staff? If you
have any questions or would like an outside review of policy and
procedures, please contact
Keys
today for
assistance.
For more details or to engage an Expert Consultant
call or email Keys today.
1-800-504-7355
If your school needs help in establishing
policy or implementing procedures for a Crisis/Emergency Response Plan
and Team contact
Keys To
Safer Schools.com today for assistance from the
Multi-disciplinary Team.
If
you have any comments or questions please Email us at
keys@keystosaferschools.com
|
(501)246-8835
