Feb 9, 2009 10:44 pm US/Central
Parents React At School Meeting To Son's Assault
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) ―
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More than 100 people attended a school board meeting to support the parents of an 11-year-old boy who was allegedly sexually assaulted by two classmates in Naperville.
CBS
A Naperville family is fighting to have sexual assault suspects removed from the school that their son attends. On Monday night, those parents took their anger straight to the school board at a meeting in Aurora. CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports that the school board meeting was an emotional one.
There were fireworks and tears, as more than 100 people came out to support the parents of an 11-year-old boy who was allegedly sexually assaulted by two classmates. They were asking school board members why all three boys – the alleged attackers and the alleged victim – were at the same school, and why more isn't being done about it.
"Our son has shown extreme courage in coming forward to tell us, the school and the police of these incidents," the victim's father said. "Think of the courage he has to muster every single day to face his attackers on the bus stop, in the halls, in the cafeteria, in the common areas. We should show similar courage."
"We need to demonstrate to all students that we, as a community, have zero tolerance for aggressive, violent behavior against students or staff," the victim's mother said.
All three boys attend Gregory Middle School in Naperville.
The parents say that back in November, two classmates, ages 11 and 12, attacked their son off school property. They were charged with criminal sexual assault and abuse.
The boy's parents say district officials told them school policy does not allow for school discipline in off-school matters. But they think that's wrong; so do dozens of other parents concerned for everyone's safety.
"The district apparently believes not acting in this situation is the best way to handle the fact that they are unprepared and had no policy in place," said Mark Thurow, parent.
But school district officials say there's only so much that they can do.
"It may be that, at some point, we would have a nexus to deal with this case in terms of school discipline," said District 204 Attorney Jack Canna. "Right now I don't see it. It would be, I think, a difficult situation for the school district to engage in some discipline knowing what the law tells us we can and can't do."
This issue has raised some debate among school board members. One member said that he has drafted a victim's rights policy. He wanted to read it at the meeting. He was not allowed to do that by the school board president, saying they need to discuss it privately in executive session tonight, and then openly discuss the victim's rights policy and the issue further at a meeting in a couple of weeks.
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