GDS Student Newspaper posts about the horrible incident
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Anonymous
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Yes the timing of the email from the family is curious. They waited an entire year until right before admissions decisions come out to email the entire community. And they emailed during the school day versus waiting until after school when parents could speak with their kids about it before they heard it at school.
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Anonymous
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Do we know factually that GDS doesn’t have cameras? Obviously not in the bathroom, but if the theory is that it could be an outsider, a camera would address that pretty quickly. What about in the hallway? And by mask, are we talking about a ski mask or a COVID-style face mask? I suspect the latter was more prevalent than the former.
This whole story is awful. |
Anonymous
| I think the head of school did the correct thing by investigating the issue before sending a warning. At the same time a school should feel a safe place for everyone and if someone reports a rape, the security system at school should be such that 1. The chances of a rape are minimized (cannot be fully prevented because perverted people can be anywhere) 2. If it happens, can be fully traced with the security system. I don’t think gds has a good security system in place for either 1 or 2. |
Anonymous
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I would imagine that GDS would have provided footage to the police if they had cameras in the area.
I believe that something happened to the child that was inappropriate. I believe that there are rare kids who are devious enough and evil enough to plan to harm another kid. I am struggling with the idea that two kids raped a third kid in the bathroom, in between classes, and all three returned to class in a manner that didn't raise flags. Or that all three kids managed to not discuss what happened so no one knew about it for months. I am not saying it can't happen but it is hard to see an 11 year old being able to handle that. Maybe if there had been smaller instances of harassment and abuse that the kid had learned to hide? I am not surprised that there isn't enough evidence to charge anyone with anything because of the lapse in time. If kids were using masks, they probably knew to get rid of the masks. There wouldn't be any DNA or physical marks. It turns into one kids word against another kid(s) word. Maybe the family of the kid who was assaulted is upset that the other kids have not been removed from the school. The school probably doesn't feel like they can remove the kids base don the evidence that exists. It is a crappy situation, made worse by the fact that there is most likely an element of truth to the story. |
Anonymous
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This is a heartbreaking story and i believe the victim here.
It is predictable that with trauma a sexual assault survivor 11 year old might not tell his parents for weeks/months. It is predictable that there would be no evidence after months have passed. It is predictable the school would have an internal/ quiet investigation - rather than alert community- which might turn up leads, which might not be convenient for a narrative that this did not happen. It is predictable that the credibility of the victim would be contested by “no evidence” statement. It is also unclear to me why we are assuming the two masked individuals are students —- they could be anybody, and presumably there are others coming and going through the school —- It is predictable also that after a year; this brave family is impatient for justice— has probably lost hope in the truth coming out — and is desperate for evidence —- and this is their last resort - an open call for information to the community —- and a warning in good faith. I support this family in coming out on the truth. I also am a fan of Russell Shaw. I do not think he wrote that email that went out, his lawyers did, and i wonder if after reflection of a week or a year he may read his email and look back with a pang in his gut, as i feel. |
Anonymous
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The child reported two young male students, at least that is what was reported in the paper.
" the family said the then–11 year old child was raped by two young male students who were wearing face coverings and disguised their voices. " I suppose that there could have been two adults that were younger and smaller and not students but the report in the paper says students. |
Anonymous
| Well, clearly GDS wants to avoid any liability so it’s clear why are doing that . |
Anonymous
Lots apparently clear. What is unclear to me is how this could have happened in a five minute period between classes in a bathroom with nobody else present. The masks also make it exceeding premeditated and planned, which is curious for middle schoolers. I absolutely believe that something happened. The definition of rape is also a bit broader than our (or at least my) default assumption, so I suppose that even if something horrible, different than the most common assumption happened for seconds, it would still be defined as such. |
Anonymous
WHY are parent paying almost 60K for a private school that has no security camera in place? the MAIN Lobby HAS CAMERAS AND ALL OF THIS SHOULD BE SUPOENA |
Anonymous
you should be concerned about your child safety. |
Anonymous
it is because OF YOU sa VICTICMS DO NOT REPORT |
Anonymous
The article does not say it happened between classes. Please stop repeating that. It could have happened anytime. Lunch. Before or after school. Who knows? Please stick to the facts. |
Anonymous
If GDS really wanted to avoid liability, they would have expelled the students who present a real harm to other students. There's no reason for GDS to keep students who so violently assaulted another child. Even assuming that the alleged perpetrators are "connected" or have parents who are significant donors, the threat of future harm, especially knowing that the students have a record of assault, is so great that the risk to the school's reputation and the cost of a lawsuit would outweigh the benefits of keeping those students at GDS. (Not to mention GDS has enough wealthy and connected families that losing one or two would not be terribly detrimental to the school.) Security at the school is tight. No one enters without passing through two sets of doors and security (at least one of whom is recently retired MPD) at the front desk. The design of the grade-level floors is such that bathrooms are not hidden in some corridor; they are right off the hallway and surrounded by classrooms. People would see you enter and leave the bathroom. Perhaps the alleged student perpetrators were eventually counseled out. Who knows? But without sufficient evidence, the school is limited in its public response. I feel horrible for the family and the distress that they are feeling. I am sure that something awful happened to their child, but it's not clear exactly what based upon the available corroborating evidence. As for Russell, he's been a great HOS. Yes, there are some things that he could have handled differently, but none of the events that people like to bring up was "easy" (COVID, Oct. 7) and *any* response to those events would have been sure to piss off one contingent of the GDS regardless. |
Anonymous
Friends of the family have said that the family said it happened at school, between periods. We don't have the police report or the school investigation. If the family told friends that, then they probably told the police that. We really don't have any facts. We have an allegation and some details and that is about it. |
Anonymous
| There is nothing in the article beyond that it occurred in the bathroom. No timing. No time of day. No pre or after event etc. So anyone making comments about "between" classes is either privy to information not reported or is making stuff up to limit their belief of the story. |