Students at a high school in the state of Washington walked out of classes on Monday to protest allegations against the football team.
Mead High School (Mead, Washington) has been embroiled in controversy for months following an investigation into the alleged conduct of the football team. According to reporting from the CBS television affiliate in Washington, KREM, a summer overnight football camp on the campus of Eastern Washington was where the alleged attacks occurred.
In a report from KREM in early May, the “alleged assaults started off with some hazing, which went from verbal and racial remarks all the way up to an assault or multiple assaults.”
Police were not notified of the incident until late February.
Marcus Sweetser, who is representing three of the victims in these allegations, said in a statement to the Spokesman-Review that the long gap between the assaults and the filing of the incident with the police is unacceptable.
“These incidents should have never happened in the first place,” Sweetser said in a statement to the Spokesman-Review.
“Mead has allowed a permissive culture of hazing in their athletic programs. Sexual assault is a known cause of permanent psychological harm. When Mead knew about the incidents last year, the right thing to do would have been to inform the parents. The worst thing Mead could do is sweep it under the rug which only perpetuates the culture and endangers all the students. These repeated assaults were preventable. The victims’ families are asking that Mead be held accountable.”
As for the walkout, which was attended by dozens of students, the school district was supportive of the action:
“We recognize and respect our students’ right to express their perspectives and peacefully demonstrate in a safe and respectful manner. As we navigate these challenging and complex issues, we will continue to work with students, families, and staff to create a path forward with a continued focus on our core values.”