Latino Boy Sexually Assaulted at School Ignored by Officials

By Tim Crews, Publisher, The Sacramento Valley Mirror

What do Maxwell parents do when son is sexually assaulted while at school?

First of a series

By Tim Crews, Valley Mirror Publisher

Maxwell, California — A Latino couple here trusted in the system and say the system failed them and their young son, who was assaulted in a school restroom. They have moved the child to another school, have him in counseling, but say that everyone in the system — mandated reporters all — brushed aside the complaint and tried to force the terrified second grader into school.

He was assaulted by an Anglo fifth grader some three months ago, the parents and their advocates say. While many families would beat their heads against the wall but eventually give up, this family has chosen to fight, albeit quietly, for fear of retaliation they say, and out of want to protect their boy’s identity.

Boy-on-boy assault is becoming if not more commonplace, at least more well known. A similar event in Orland last year was never prosecuted. The parents of the alleged Little League assailants heavily lobbied police and in the end, the victim was victimized once again by receiving no hearing.

But in Maxwell, there are many eyes and ears. The community is becoming predominantly Latino. A complaint was taken by the Colusa County Sheriff’s Department, Lt. Miguel Villasenor said Tuesday, but an investigation came back as unsubstantiated, apparently due to the detective’s interview with the alleged assailant. Lt. Villasenor said the department was not aware the victim was in mental health care or had been transferred. Because of a language barrier and to be precise, we asked for a written account of the events and that it be translated with great care.

Dad speaks:

“I want to let you know that my son attends Maxwell Elementary and he brought to my wife’s attention that while in the school bathroom, during school hours he was sexually assaulted by another student that is older than him. The boy who assaulted him ran out of the bathroom and told my son not to tell. My son has been very fearful of going to school without my wife because of this. My wife and I both informed the school and nothing had been said nor done to resolve the matter. A week and a half had gone by and I went into the office and spoke to the principal and demanded something be done for the safety of my child. The principal said it was not his responsibility and I requested my son be transferred, any responsibility was not taken from the principal, I am saddened by poor results that I had to get my own help because he did not help.”

There are more details alleged and attested to by another witness.

Mom says:

“I am letting it be known what has happened at Maxwell Elementary in which is directed by the Superintendent Mr. Ron Turner. We as parents feel very bad and worried about our child’s situation. In fact we haven’t gotten any help from the principal.
Everything started about (three) months ago when my son started not wanting to come to school, he would just say he didn’t want to go to school, we thought it was simply he was just being lazy but as days went by we saw that it wasn’t laziness on his part. One particular time he cried and pleaded for me to take him home he ran into the car so we called the principal and he talked to him [Mr. Turner] and he went to school even though the principal had to hold him and pull him. It was like that every day to get him to school. On another occasion my son did not want to go to school and was crying a pleading with me to take him home that he was afraid.

“When he saw the principal come he took off running and the principal after him. My son got to his grandparents’ house and ran to the end of the house in a room and was shaking of fear. My son’s father spoke to the principal and asked if he could just leave him there and he would talk to him. The next day the same thing happened and there was a police officer and he helped by carrying my son upside down and throwing him into the school library where he told the secretary to check up on him.
No one could have him stay in class; instead my son was more frightened than ever to go to school.”

And dad continues:

“Finally my son spoke, he revealed to us that when he was in the boy’s bathroom at school an older boy tried to touch his private part, and because of this he didn’t want to go to school. My son has been to school only if his mother is there at his side in the class and out. I was allowed to stay with him for a few days but then in a meeting we had I was no longer allowed to stay in the class with him. That made it worse for my son and my family.

“We haven’t gotten any type of support from the principal because he states it is not his responsibility. We feel it is the school’s responsibility to ensure safety and to have helped my child and help find out what the problem was instead of assuming my son was just being spoiled or having a fit.

“The problem started at school and should also have been taken care of there. The student responsible for this as it seems hasn’t been spoken to and in the student handbook we get every year it states that Maxwell does not tolerate sexual harassment in any form. My son has not received any help from the school on this matter and so then my son asks us to move him to another school so we went to the school and asked Mr. Turner for a transfer and supposedly it was done but then he told us that it had been denied because of my son’s behavior and the school didn’t want to be in the same situation and because some of my family members are a problematic family which is not true. I think that is what the principal thinks of us.

“My children have never given me trouble instead he wants to wash his hands of the situation. Like I have said in the beginning my son has yet to receive any help from the school instead we sought out the help. I am taking my son to counseling, we moved him from Maxwell to another school we went and pleaded with the principal of [at another school, location withheld by editor] and they accepted my son. He seems a little happier there but his fear is not yet gone he doesn’t want to be alone he cries all the time. The detectives told us that there was nothing that could be done because there is no evidence or witnesses and that they would be speaking to the vice principal. I feel that I am being discriminated from all sides. We need help and maybe by the newspaper someone can read and can help us in this situation.”

The Colusa County District Attorney was out of the office and could not be reached.

Tim Crews is the publisher of the biweekly newspaper The Sacramento Valley Mirror in Willows, California. For more information about his paper or subscription information email him at valleymirror@pulsarco.com