As a survivor of child sexual assault, I remain concerned about student safety in the Concord School District. During the last public school board meeting several students testified. It clearly revealed there was no system to respond to the students’ concerns and in some cases outright dismissal of their concerns.
In light of allegations that Howie Leung sexually assaulted a student, I believe much more must be done to maintain student safety. Albeit a mandatory training day has been scheduled prior to the first day of school, but it includes only four hours of instruction and it does not include students.
I believe the CSD needs to hold a student assembly where all students are reassured that it is not going to be business as usual. They must be made aware of the Crisis Center confidential hotline number, 1-866-841-6229, to prevent another Leung situation from ever occurring again.
The students’ testimony revealed a neglectful school culture. Many student problems went unsolved. A school culture change is absolutely required, to include leadership changes. Additionally, I believe the school would benefit from hiring an outside consultant to initiate a behavioral/culture change model.
The following statistics, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually assaulted by age 18, indicate school children are at risk for assault because sexual predators seek out locations where several children gather. Again, I feel strongly that more must be done to maintain student safety at CSD.
PAULA C. LESMERISES
Concord