Justice Department sides with 14-year-old girl raped while serving as 'bait' in middle school sting

[freshwest]

39. Yes, but instead, this is what happened:

Last edited Tue Sep 23, 2014, 12:13 PM - Edit history (1)

There Are So Many Things Wrong With This Alabama Middle School Rape Case

...No one was fired as a result of the incident, which left the victim traumatized. No criminal charges were filed against school officials or the assailant. In fact, as Gawker reports, an assistant principal who knew of the plan was promoted to principal at a nearby school district despite failing to prevent the incident. The teacher's aide who originally proposed the sting was put on leave and later resigned...

It gets worse, according to CNN: "Vice Principal Dunaway testified that the girl was responsible for herself once she entered the bathroom, according the brief... Federal attorneys say details about the severity of the [boy's previous attacks] are unavailable because school administrators shredded the boy's disciplinary files..."

"It's a sad situation," Principal Ronnie Blair told media in 2010. "At the same time, I feel very comfortable with the way the situation was handled. That's about all I can say."

In other words, despite orchestrating the entire incident and then shredding relevant records after the fact, everyone involved in creating the situation that led to the rape is insisting that it was not their fault but the unidentified victim's. Other than being textbook victim-blaming, the Department of Justice argues that the district's "deliberate indifference to known acts of peer sexual harassment" constitutes a violation of Title IX. Hopefully the district and its callous, irresponsible administrators will be held responsible for their horrific judgement, but the damage they've inflicted on the victim can never be undone...

And more at this link:

http://mic.com/articles/99464/there-are-so-many-things-wrong-with-this-alabama-middle-school-rape-case

A few points:

At 14 years old, she is a minor, legally unable to decide to play bait. Her parents/guardians were not informed of this scheme and it's unlikely they would approve of putting her in danger this way. She was incapable of consent herself.

As a special needs child, she is unlikely to have the maturity of a 14 year old. In fact, many are not considered able to make such decisions even after they reach the age of 18. Dependent on level of disability, some fall under the statues of vulnerable adults and require a guardian for the rest of their lives in order to protect them.

The school is legally responsible as custodian of all students and their safety while on school property, or activities run by the school. Example is if a football player is injured, the school must pay for his care.

Dependent on state, county, city and district, policies vary. Funding for special education is on the chopping block and administrators and state legislators try to cut funds for them in every way. Some school districts resent having to have special needs students, and a number of them, even in wealthy areas, refuse to accept them as students.

This is just the tip of the iceberg as to what happens to special needs students and vulnerable adults. Some police departments scapegoat innocent disabled persons to clear up their case loads. The person does not understand the danger of making or signing statements to please authorities and some have been sent to prison for murders they did not commit when they promised them they could go home if they signed confessions that they could not read.

Special needs kids and vulnerable adults are the least likely to be given fair treatment or to be believed, are often unable to explain what has happened, and the subject of more sexual, financial and physical abuse than almost any other group.

And this is worldwide, except in tiny oasises in which good people seek to protect them.