An Arkansas school has been embroiled in a rather murky controversy—years of continual yet covert instances of sexual assaults, which was meted out by seniors of a boys’ basketball team. Parents are livid and have now pressured the school’s board to take due action against the predatory seniors.
“Kids were sexually assaulted in your locker room — three years,” said one parent, as cited in Fox News, during a Monday school board meeting, while speaking to a local TV station. “How can you sit here and say you’re proud of yourselves when you sat here and did nothing?” they added. The views were expressed on the condition of anonymity, as reported on 4029News.
The arguments erupted as a plea for change and stringent measures of discipline after the parents learned how the young boys were often victims of inane sexual fantasies of the older members of the group.
The outlet further shed light on how the expulsion of a Huntsville student, as per the Title IX documents obtained by KNWA, the NBC-affiliated TV station in Rogers, Arkansas, accused of sexual misconduct earlier this year was reduced to one semester. The student in question allegedly put his genitals near the other students' mouths while they were held down in an act that basketball players called ‘baptizing’”, according to the outlet.
According to local reports, the school’s locker room was often a den of sexual horrors. However, Huntsville School Board President Danny Thomas reportedly maintained a diplomatic stance in the face of the controversy and suggested that a Title IX investigation was being conducted but “the district is not able to comment on student discipline.” He further enthused that the Huntsville School District has always strived to make decisions based on the evidence that was appealed to them.
While investigations have been launched, criminal charges are yet to be filed when the KNWA’s Friday report came into being.
Despite the controversies, Thomas continued to root for the community, its facility, and the staff. “I'm very proud of this board and this community and this faculty and this staff,” he said, adding, “There's not a single person on this board that doesn't dedicate hours of time to what we try to do…what is best for this community, district and staff and these kids.
"That's the only reason any of us are here. We also support our superintendent because no one's worked harder through some of these difficult times that we've had more than Audra Kimble. To see some of the negative stuff we've had to deal with — all of us, the board members, staff, superintendent — it's been very disheartening, to say the least, especially when we do the best we can with what we have to work with," he said.
Thomas egged to get people on to “sign up” to be more involved in the school board and its decisions.
