ROTTERDAM Three students suspended, accused of sexual contact BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.
School officials suspended three Mohonasen students last week, after they were accused of inappropriate sexual contact with a classmate while they held him down on a soccer field. The late-October incident was reported to the district Friday, prompting Principal Patrick Mc-Grath to suspend the students for three days. The case is being investigated by Rotterdam Police and has been referred to Superintendent Kathleen Spring, who will conduct a private hearing next week to determine if further punishment is warranted. Spring said the incident occurred at some point during an after-school pickup soccer game at the district campus off Curry Road. At one point, a male student was tackled on the field and poked inappropriately. “There was a situation where kids got involved and horseplay got carried away,” Spring said Monday. Spring said a parent approached the district on Nov. 9 about the student being a victim of “inappropriate sexual touching.” The report initiated an investigation by Rotterdam Police Sgt. Tom Culbert, the school’s resource officer, Spring said the incident sparked rumors throughout the district last week, prompting school offi cials to send a letter of explanation to parents Friday. Though some of the students involved are on sports teams, she said rumors that the incident involved hazing are unfounded. “During the week it was still buzzing out there,” she said. “There were a lot of rumors that it was much worse than it was.” But regardless of the degree of contact, Spring said the touching crossed the threshold of what is considered appropriate and in compliance with the school’s code of conduct. She said the district is considering instruction to ensure students use better discretion. “[Horseplay] can be perceived very differently from one person to the next,” she said. “Really, keeping your hands to yourself is the best way to approach things.”
Students disciplined in Mohonasen attack 3 suspended for holding boy down, "sexually inappropriate touching"
By MARC PARRY, Staff writer First published: Wednesday, November 21, 2007
ROTTERDAM -- Three Mohonasen High School students have admitted holding another student down and poking the boy in the rear end during an unsupervised pickup soccer game on a school field last month, according to the district's top official. The three bullies received five-day suspensions and face a hearing next week to determine if more punishment is necessary, said Superintendent Kathleen Spring.
She and high school Principal Patrick McGrath issued a detailed letter to parents, which is posted on the district Web site, about what they characterize as "an incident involving sexually inappropriate touching involving a small number of high school boys."
The letter, dated Friday, described how the victim was tackled and then "poked in his rear-end by another boy's fingers" during the game on the afternoon of Oct. 25.
"Some of the students we have since interviewed have referred to this action as 'giving someone a weasel,' " Spring and McGrath wrote. "We are also continuing to investigate the scope of this behavior beyond this one incident."
The attack violated the code of conduct, and district officials plan to talk with students about "keeping their hands to themselves," Spring said.
A parent came forward on Nov. 9, claiming that "a high school student had been the victim of inappropriate sexual touching," the letter said. A school investigation concluded that the attack was not hazing. Hazing has numerous definitions, but the term generally refers to an initiation ritual that involves humiliating tasks or rough practical jokes.
There was also a second victim, according to Rotterdam Police Lt. Michael Brown. He had no details about what happened other than that it apparently "wasn't as serious" as the incident described in the letter.
The parents are satisfied with the district's response and "don't want further action on our part," Brown said.
Still, the behavior described in the letter is potentially criminal, and police continue to investigate.
Spring said some of students were on sports teams at the high school, but she did not disclose the identities or ages of any of them.
Marc Parry can be reached at 454-5057 or by e-mail at mparry@timesunion.com.
Logged
