Even though a male is being charged with allegedly sexual assaulting four students at Stephenville High is not currently attending the school a silent protest a silent protest is still going ahead on Wednesday.
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Cameron Caines said participating students will be refusing to do class work, nobody will be talking and students will be symbolically wearing safety pins as girls at the school feel like they’re falling apart and the pins represent them staying together.
He said the student, who can’t be named because he’s a minor, has made his own decision not to be in the school but that the Newfoundland and Labrador English School Board will allow him back if he decided to attend.
“As of right now the school board hasn’t done anything to protect the girls (who allege they have been sexually assaulted). We want to get the word out we want things to change and feel the school board should change its policy on this issue,” he said.
Late last week, a member of Stephenville High’s school council resigned after a male student is alleged to have committed four counts of sexual assault by four female students was allowed to remain at the school.
A parent of one of the alleged victims believes the four students were being re-victimized by the decision of school board.
On Friday, the school initiated its lockdown procedures following a threat received by school board members and didn’t allow anyone in or out of the building for most of the afternoon. Members of the local RCMP were visible outside the school brandishing rifles and patrolling the grounds.
It is unclear if the lockdown was in connection the alleged sexual assaults.
