Sexual Assault in Our Schools

Montgomery Talks with Doug Tallman

The alleged sexual assault at Damascus High School shook parents, teachers, administrators and students themselves. We asked Jennifer Alvaro to join us in the Montgomery Community Media podcast booth to talk about the issues surrounding the incident.

We believed some of the things Alvaro said deserved a response from Montgomery County Public Schools to respond. In an abundance of fairness, we asked for a response from MCPS.

This is what we received:

“We thank the State’s Attorney Office, the Montgomery County Police Department, Child Welfare Services, Ms. Alvaro, and the thousands the community members who have helped us develop and implement one of the most robust, if not the most robust, child protection policy, protocol and procedures in a public school district. We continue to enhance and expand our work to ensure all students are safe and can learn and thrive in our schools.

“With regards to the Damascus High School incident, we can’t provide any additional comment beyond what has been shared already as there is an ongoing law enforcement investigation. However, we encourage community members to avoid speculating on what they believe happened and allow for law enforcement to complete their investigation.”

The response was delivered by Gboyinde Onijala, an MCPS spokeswoman.

She also suggested people watch the discussion at a committee meeting on the child abuse policy. You can see it here: http://mcpsmd.swagit.com/play/10232018-1221/#9

MCPS also has a Child Abuse and Neglect webpage where they can learn more about our efforts. The page is at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/childabuseandneglect/

The most recent summary can be found at: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/childabuseandneglect/180829%20Update%20Implement%20Pol%20JHC%20FY2018.pdf