One of the most sensitive and complex issues The Classic navigates is how to report on troubling allegations made by students about other students. Last night, an allegation of student-to-student sexual assault took over Townsend Harris’s corner of Instagram. Numerous stories amplified the allegation, advocated for sexual assault awareness, and debated the issues raised. The storm of posts contributed to the postponing of a student government election today, and later, some posts called for a sit-in next Thursday to “raise awareness [about] making our school a safe place for everyone.”
Though The Classic publishes without administrative censorship, it operates under a charter that contains rules that govern how we approach certain topics, particularly stories about individual student behavior. For allegations made against students, when they come to us, we report them directly to the school administration first (normally through our advisor). In other words, we contact the proper school officials whose job it is to investigate the allegations and handle them.
Yesterday, we reported the allegations within minutes of learning about them.
Today, our leadership team met to get to work.
Our job is to answer, perhaps, the most difficult question: how well does the school (or the wider school system) handle such allegations?
One of the most prevalent sentiments shared on social media is skepticism that the school adequately handles assault allegations. One post said, “We are doing this because this school doesn’t investigate allegations being made….we need to fight for harsher investigations.” Other posts express skepticism about “internal investigations,” or suggested the school is “covering it up,” or allege that perpetrators face “little to no repercussions.”
Does the school follow up? Does it do so adequately? Is the wider school system effective? If not, where do they fail? The Classic’s job is to hold the people in charge accountable, by asking difficult questions and finding answers about what a school must do to ensure its students are safe. It will take time, but we will get to work right away covering all angles.
If you have a story to tell that you believe will help us answer these questions, email us at thhsclassic@gmail.com.
