Taking Stupid To Exciting New Levels

Republic, MO is in the news again, this time for even worse stupidity than banning books from the high school library.  Maybe they should have been paying attention to the students coming to them with a report of rape.  Keep in mind as you read this that there is DNA recovered from semen that is an exact match, and the boy accused has since admitted his guilt.

A lawsuit filed against the Republic School District alleges school officials failed to protect a middle school girl from a male classmate who harassed her, sexually assaulted her, and raped her.

In its written response, the school district denies all allegations in the suit and calls the claims frivolous.

The suit, filed July 5, alleges when the girl — a special education student — told officials about the harassment, assault and rape that occurred during the 2008-09 school year, they told her they did not believe her. She recanted.

The suit also alleges that, without seeking her mother’s permission, school officials forced the girl to write a letter of apology to the boy and personally deliver it to him. She was then expelled for the rest of the 2008-2009 school year and referred to juvenile authorities for filing a false report.

As mandated reporters, it isn't up to the school to decide guilt or innocence. It is their job to report it regardless of what they think happened. And to force the alleged victim to write a letter of apology without a thorough investigation is just more stupidity than I can bear. When it happened again, she was afraid to report it (after being expelled I can't imagine why) but when she was examined there was evidence of sexual assault as well as a DNA sample matching the attacker she named, the school's response erased any hope of common sense entering the story:

The girl failed and neglected to use reasonable means to protect her self, the response says. Any damages the girl may have sustained, “were as a result of the negligence, carelessness, or conduct of third parties over whom the District Defendants had neither control nor the right to control,” according to the school district response.

The old rape fallback defense: I guess they think if she hadn't made herself so damned available this wouldn't have happened.  If only she had reached out for help.  Oh wait, she did and they didn't do so much as check into things before dismissing her.  How was it that she was blown off and then expelled without an official investigation?  Or even a half-assed one?

Book banning is small potatoes compared to this.  I waited to see what might come out, but when I read about the physical evidence I knew the original reports were close.  Even the smallest town school should understand the definition of mandated reporting and the expected process for any situation like this.