'We Demand Action From L-S School Committee': Jane Roe Rape Case

SUDBURY, MA—Several in the community and school system have banded together to create a petition protesting a matter concerning a sexual assault at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School years ago, brought to light this week after a lawsuit was filed.

A former student at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School filed a lawsuitagainst the school and its officials over the handling of an alleged rape that occurred at the school when she was 15, according to reports.

The Massachusetts woman filed a civil action that she was sexually assaulted by two boys in November of 2013 during a football game at the school, reports NECN.

In court documents, the plaintiff, identified as Jane Roe,argues that the district didn't take appropriate actionagainst the attackers, or support her, after the incident. Instead, she was allegedly forced to spend her school days in the common area, and the alleged attackers remained in class and ultimately graduated.

On Friday, Superintendent/Principal Bella Wong, one of the defendants named in the suit, addressed the issue in the daily morning message over the PA at the school.

Signed by 91 people as of 8:30 p.m. on Sunday night, a petition says that, "We the undersigned students, parents, and other concerned residents of Lincoln and Sudbury are profoundly concerned by the circumstances described in the complaint filed by ‘Jane Roe’ in US District Court on April 24, 2018, versus the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School District, Bella Wong, Aida Ramos, and Leslie Patterson. (Jane Roe Complaint).

The petition demands that the L-S School Committee take immediate and decisive action, listing several specific demands. They include scheduling a public meeting, initiating an independent review, placing the defendants on administrative leave, and suspend the superintendent without pay. The petition also calls for settle the complaint brought by Jane Roe in a fair and compassionate way to "fairly compensate Ms. Roe for the real financial and emotional costs she and her family have incurred as a result of this tragedy, and to avoid imposing further trauma on the victim."

The petition reads, "We find the treatment of Jane Roe by the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School District as described in the Complaint to be completely unacceptable. We believe this treatment was grossly negligent and very likely violated Ms. Roe’s civil rights under Title IX. It is inexcusable that a victim of sexual assault on school grounds would be victimized all over again by the District’s mishandling of this tragic situation over a period of years. We believe this has caused irreparable harm to the victim and her family and has exposed the District to enormous financial liability."

Read the entire petition here.

Photo via Sudbury schools