WV school punished rape victim by moving her back a grade, attorney general says

[Playinghardball]

West Virginia’s attorney general filed a civil rights lawsuit against a school district he said had failed to report sexual assault claims and then retaliated against the girls who reported the abuse.

Attorney General Patrick Morrissey asked a court for an injunction Thursday against the Mingo County Board of Education, where two girls claim they were molested and sexually assaulted by two male students at the school and on a field trip.

The girls were seventh-graders in 2012, when they said two boys restrained and groped them on a school bus and in a school computer lab, and one of the girls said one of the boys sexually assaulted her on a school trip to Charleston.

According to court filings, the girls were threatened with discipline and administrators at Burch Middle School retaliated against them.

“Every action taken by (the) defendants was either to minimalize the allegations against the boys and/or to protect the alleged male juvenile perpetrators,” according to the filing, signed by Assistant Attorney General J. Robert Leslie.

The attorney general’s filing names Melissa Webb, principal of Burch Middle School in Delbarton; Deanna Maynard, vice principal; Hester Keatley, guidance counselor; Melvin Cunningham, a coach at the school; and Randy Keathley, superintendent of Mingo County Schools.

The filing also lists the Migno County School Board and the two alleged assailants, who are not named, and their parents.

More here: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/09/wv-school-punished-rape-victim-by-moving-her-back-a-grade-attorney-general-says/

[shenmue]

1. What the hell is wrong with people?

[Initech]

6. Seriously!!!

[radicalliberal]

2. Why is a coach involved in this scandal? n/t

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. Maybe the perps were Varsity atheletes?

Pretty sickening

[theHandpuppet]

8. According to the article...

"Both boys are students whose relatives are employees of the school system, the complaint claims."

Hopefully they will soon be looking for other means of employment. In the meanwhile, I have great concern for the victims and their families. We've witnessed all to often how girls who report such crimes are treated.

[Staph]

9. The scuttlebutt here in West Virginia is

that one of the boys is the son of the coach named in the suit.

[theHandpuppet]

12. That figures

Guess we didn't need a crystal ball to see that one coming.

[SwankyXomb]

7. You can get away with anything in school as long as you're

A. Rich
B. White
C. Male
D. Good at sports
E. Related to staff

or some combination thereof. "Good at sports" covers any number of insignificant offenses, such as theft, drug dealing, rape.

[DirkGently]

4. Jesus. n/t

[mopinko]

5. hey. come on. the were denied ice cream

on a testing day!!

[Journeyman]

10. "I'm trying to imagine what I'd assume . . ."

A comment from the Rawstory website. . .

I'm trying to imagine what I'd assume if a single 8th grader were transferred to my 7th grade class mid-year: that she failed out of 8th grade, or maybe had some mysterious learning disability. It's difficult and embarrassing enough for people who actually do have those issues, and the other middle schoolers won't make that any easier for them.

Now I'm trying to imagine what I'd assume if I were assured that she wasn't having an academic problem: that she'd done something horrible or was the subject of some scandal. EVERYONE in both grades would be talking about it and probably starting a million rumors about her.

Now I'm trying to imagine if I heard the gossip about the sexual assault, or read about my school in the news. All the middle school assholes would know what happened and likely turn on the victim, and at the same time all the girls will know 100% that they should never tell if they are assaulted because the school will fucking ruin your life.

~ Mosey M

[Jefferson23]

11. Great news the state attorney general is going after them..very big deal vs a civil suit..which

should follow.

Use the law, go after them and make them see it is not in their best interests to blame
and re-victimize the students.

K&R