AISD holds closed parent meeting concerning alleged sexual assault
Since the alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old girl at Boone Elementary School more families in the school district are coming forward with similar complaints. Some are even saying that the district police mishandled the cases and they're demanding the district take another look at them.
AISD TEACHER ON LEAVE AS CHILD INJURY CASE REOPENED
Austin Independent School District officials held a meeting at Boone Elementary on April 27 to talk about what happened in the case of the four-year-old. Two more families are now speaking out after news broke about the case at Boone.
Two parents, who wish to remain anonymous, say it was two years ago when they got news they didn't want to hear.
"Our 14-year-old daughter made an outcry to a friend that she had been raped in the boys bathroom at Lanier High School," they say.
The parents say their daughter's friend told their teacher who reportedly told police but the case went nowhere.
"They indicated to us that evidence was lacking to proceed forward. That they had a conversation with (the) prosecutor's office and the prosecutor would not take the case," the parents say.
An attorney for the parents, Paul Guinn, says more families have begun to come forward and calling him since the Boone Elementary story came to light. In the Boone case, a four-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted. The case was quickly closed but AISD Chief Eric Mendez says they reopened it. Chief Mendez says despite early reports they did in fact look at the medical report of the little girl.
"The technical step in the process of picking up the info and providing it or placing in our case file wasn't done. But the actual reviewing of documents was done," Chief Mendez says.
Another family, that of a Hart Elementary student, say their son was sexually assaulted by an employee and while the case was closed they are demanding officials take another look.
Chief Mendez acknowledges the concerns from the Lanier and Hart parents and says they are reviewing the cases.
Guinn says that "it may be that AISD PD is not equipped and not staffed to properly investigate and prosecute serious felony level charges." He suggests Austin police step in when it comes to these investigations.
Chief Mendez remains confident his staff is sufficient.
The Boone employee accused of the sex assault remains on leave at this time. The accused Hart Elementary employee is still working.
Chief Mendez stresses to FOX 7 that he doesn't want it to seem the department is hiding anything as it investigates. He says if parents have questions they should contact him or Superintendent Dr. Paul Cruz.