A current senior football player attends a party over the weekend that includes many other current and former students. The following week a current female student accuses him of sexual assault for which he is subsequently charged by law enforcement. He denies any wrongdoing and the case will not occur for several months. The team is 5-0 and he is the running back with multiple college offers. The family of the female student, along with many others in the community, question how he can be on a team representing the school. What do you do as principal? How do you handle the two students being in the same building? What if they share classes?
My thinking is he has not been formally charged yet so he can play football. He is innocent until proven guilty. If they share classes, I would move one of them just to be proactive. As principal, I would have a plan in place to keep interaction to a minimum. I would share this plan with teachers so they would be informed.
ReplyDeleteKim makes a very valid point. He is innocent until proven guilty so I would not stop him from playing football. However, the principal and school are responsible for protecting both students and honoring their rights. I would ensure that there is little to no contact between the students while they are at school. I would make sure all teachers and staff involved with those students are aware of the circumstances.
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