Wave Wire Services
LOS ANGELES — As an investigation continued into an alleged sexual assault of a student in a Hamilton High School bathroom, police said no students have been suspended in connection with the probe, contrary to comments by LAPD Chief Michel Moore.
During an appearance Oct. 27 on ABC7, Moore said investigators were working to identify all parties involved, including “the assailant as well as those that simply stood by,” and he said there had been some suspensions.
“It’s my understanding the school has suspended those individuals and they’re not in the school location, which I’m thankful for, so they don’t pose any further risks to the school population,” Moore said.
However, the LAPD issued a statement the next day saying, “There have not been any arrests made and the school is cooperating and assisting detectives with the investigation, which is ongoing. Additionally, no students have been suspended at this time.”
The alleged assault occurred Oct. 20 in a boys bathroom at the campus in the 2900 block of South Robertson Boulevard. A video of the attack was posted on social media. Students told reporters the video depicts several male students surrounding and sexually assaulting a female student in the bathroom.
Some students told reporters the girl was a special-needs student.
On ABC7, Moore said he is also working with school administrators in hopes of determining “how do we prevent this from occurring in the future.”
“Safety of schools is paramount,” he said. “Kids cannot be educated, they cannot learn and develop into young adults if they’re not in a safe environment and one that’s conducive to ensuring a good learning environment.
“I recognize this is an isolated incident, but the fact that it occurred, it’s just untenable. And we’re not going to allow it to go unmet with prosecutions and the actions against those involved.”
The Los Angeles School Police Department, which initially responded to the report of an alleged sexual assault, issued a statement Oct. 27 saying the LAPD was leading the investigation “due to the nature of the allegations.”
“The safety of students remains a top priority for the staff at Hamilton High School, as well as the Los Angeles School Police Department,” the statement said.
The Los Angeles Unified School District issued a statement Oct. 26 saying, “At Los Angeles Unified, the well-being and safety of our students and staff is of paramount importance. An alleged incident occurred on the campus of Hamilton High School earlier this week potentially involving several students in the boy’s restroom.
“The school administration immediately and proactively began coordinating with the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Unified School Police to investigate the issue. Our school crisis team was also activated and students were given an opportunity to speak to counselors about their concerns.
“At this point, this situation is an ongoing police investigation. As such, we are unable to comment further so as not to interfere with the police investigation, as well as to respect the privacy rights of students. At Los Angeles Unified, we take all student matters very seriously, and uphold the privacy and confidentiality of all in our school communities.”
The school’s principal, Jennifer Baxter, notified parents about the alleged assault via voicemail, reiterating that counseling services have been made available to students. She said police are investigating what she called an “incident … involving several students in the boys’ restroom.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call LAPD detectives at (213) 473-0447.
