Parents in Plainview, Texas, are outraged at school officials after it was discovered that, while a teacher was in the classroom, a group of first-grade boys allegedly forced their 6-year-old female classmate to perform a sex act as they filmed it on an iPad.
On Friday, furious parents and community members protested outside the administrative office of the Plainview Independent School District (PISD) over the incident, which occurred at Plainview South Elementary School.
On Monday, PISD was forced to cancel classes district-wide following what it says are “threats of violence to teachers and staff at South Elementary,” KLBK reports.
(Video: YouTube)
According to Heather Gonzales, an older cousin of the victim, the little girl told her that, while in the lunch line at school, a boy exposed himself to her, KCBD reported.
And the story only got worse from there.
More than a week prior, the little girl said, a student pulled her under her desk and forced her to perform a sex act while another student reportedly recorded it.
Gonzales asked her cousin how long the assault lasted.
“She said, ‘until they let me go,'” Gonzales stated.
(Video: YouTube)
In the video, the little girl reportedly can be seen trying to fight back.
“She said she was hitting him with the poetry book,” Gonzales explained.
According to Gonzales, the school was aware of the situation but refused to be transparent with the family.
“Everything was ‘no comment. I cannot tell you. No comment,'” Gonzales said. “So, you mean to tell me abuse has been happening for a week and a half and these kids are still at the same desk. My cousin is still at a desk with all boys, having to see her abusers every day.”
The only reason the family became aware of the incident, Gonzales said, is because they noticed changes in her cousin’s behavior.
“She’s in distress, she’s like ‘my stomach hurts. I just want to lay down,'” Gonzales said. “You can tell something’s wrong with her. So, they said ‘what’s going on? What happened?'”
That’s when the little girl shared her horrific experience.
According to Plainview ISD Superintendent H.T. Sanchez, they found the recording on a school device the day after the incident happened. A report was made and Child Protective Services was contacted.
A state investigator was assigned to work with local law enforcement and arrived in Plainsview the following week.
“He had asked that we hold confidentiality because he wanted to be sure that he was able to get the full story from each of the students, the minors, that were involved,” Sanchez explained. “All of the steps that we’re required to take, we took.”
The superintendent is now focused on ways parents and the district can work toward an acceptable outcome.
“We hope to find a direction with them forward,” Sanchez said. “Definitely for the young people and how we can help them heal and move forward.”
Gonzales wants to see action from the district.
“Are you letting these other parents know their kids could possibly be a victim next?” she asked. “I feel like, as a parent, you should know.”
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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