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According to NewsWest9, several school employees were arrested after a student was sexually assaulted at Midland Christian School located at 2001 Culver Dr, Midland, TX 79705.
A student at the Christian school reported to police that he was sexually assaulted by other students around January 20, 2022. The assault was during baseball practice at the school. The victim went to the locker room in the Christensen Stadium to change when the lights were turned off. He said he heard another student announce that it was "freshman initiation day." After which, a student beat him before being pushed to the ground. The victim was told not to fight back but said he did try to hit back. He was held down and sexually assaulted by a baseball bat.
At this time, one student has been arrested, but his name and charges have not been released.
On Wednesday, police arrested five of the school's employees that knew about the assault yet did not report it to the authorities. Included in the arrested were Jared Lee, the superintendent, according to the Midland Christian website. Dana Ellis is a secondary principal who notified Lee of the incident in January. Matthew Counts, a coach and assistant administrator, was instructed to investigate the incident along with Gregory McClendon, the athletic director and football coach. Barry Russell, the baseball coach, also knew about the incident yet failed to report it as required by the Texas Family Code.
Attorney contributor Marc Lenahan represents sex assault victims and their families in civil disputes. He assists families in navigating the legal system and obtaining the justice and financial restitution for which they are entitled. Marc recently discussed the victim's legal option to sue a school for hazing sexual assault in a locker room.
"High schools, including their sporting fields and locker rooms, should provide a safe environment for children to learn and socialize. Schools, even private Christian schools, have a legal obligation to protect their kids from avoidable threats, such as sexual and physical abuse. Sexual assault and hazing occurrences have unfortunately been recorded in schools all around the country lately. Knowing this, school leaders should take precautions to prevent it from occurring on their campus. Monitoring locker rooms, installing cameras in common areas, and properly following up on reports of misconduct are some examples of these measures. If the school or its staff fail to implement or follow safety regulations, they may be held accountable in a civil court."
"If there is abuse, an investigation should be conducted to see if the school was negligent in reporting the abuse or otherwise failed to prevent it. They may be regarded negligent if they were discovered to have prior allegations of misconduct yet failed to increase their security procedures. The assaulted victim and their family may have grounds to file a lawsuit against the school district or officials in many cases of school negligence. Speaking with an experienced school sexual assault victim lawyer can assist victims and their families in determining the appropriate legal course of action."
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