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Loudoun County, Virginia public school students aren’t the only ones staging walkouts to protest their school system’s handling of sexual assault cases, as protests have broken out across the country over the past month.
In recent weeks, a walkout and vocal parents and students have drawn national attention to Loudoun County schools’ handling of sexual assault allegations, one of which involved an alleged incident in a transgender bathroom.
As The Washington Examiner explains:
“The student protest came the morning after a juvenile court judge convicted a 15-year-old student of sexually assaulting a ninth-grade girl in the women’s restroom of Stone Bridge High School. The student was allegedly wearing a skirt during the assault.
“The case gained national attention after it was revealed that Loudoun County school officials knew about the sexual assault but the student, who had already been criminally charged, was allowed to attend a different high school, where he was subsequently accused of assaulting a second victim.”
Wearing white and carrying protest signs, some of the students chanted “Loudoun County protects rapists.”
Similar student walkouts protesting sexual assaults and schools’ handling of allegations have been staged across the U.S. and reported by local media:
- Oregon: In Portland, “A group of middle schoolers walked out of the school as an act of protest, in response to incidents of sexual harassment among the students.”
- Kansas: In Overland Park, about 200 Kansas School District students staged a walkout, claiming that the district has ignored sexual assault and harassment allegations.
- Ohio: In Lake County, hundreds of students from Mentor High School staged a walkout, during which they shared personal stories of sexual assault, bullying and racism.
- California (Oakland): Hundreds of Oakland Tech students marched about two miles from their school to the school district’s headquarters protest the lack of support for sexual assault victims.
- California (San Francisco): About 500 students staged a mid-morning walkout of class.
- Kentucky: In Louisville, roughly 50 North Bullitt High School students walked out of class, over allegations that one student sexually harassed a female student, and staged a call for action in the evening.
- Minnesota: In Minneapolis, students at Zimmerman middle and high school walked out in protest and were joined by parents in support of two students alleging they were sexually assaulted.
- Wisconsin: In Milwaukee, dozens of students staged a walkout over general concerns about their safety in the school system, where police were called to respond to incidents 20 times in a two-month period.