An Oregon family is suing the Portland public school district for $9 million, after two boys allegedly gang raped their daughter in bathroom, during an after school program.
Both the school district and the after school program are named in the lawsuit alleging that they failed to educate students about consent, failed to enforce rules and did not properly notify the nine-year-old's family when she was allegedly harmed.
The family alleges that in April 2022 two male classmates threatened the third grader by saying they would "find out where she lives" if she didn't ask to go to the bathroom. The boys then followed her into the bathroom, locked the door and "forcibly penetrated" her, according to Oregon Live.
When the father of one of the alleged assailants learned about the incident, he alerted the school and the two boys were reportedly suspended for one day. Instead of contacting the police, the school authorities allegedly "undertook their own internal investigation."
During this investigation, the family claims the school interviewed the girl without first contacting her parents. It was not until six days later that the girl was taken to Randall Children's Hospital for a medical evaluation. She was later interviewed by child abuse experts who described the girl's account as "highly concerning."
The girl's family claim that since the alleged incident, their daughter has dealt with pain, trauma and social anxiety. Both the girl and her brother moved schools following the incident causing a disruption in their education, according to the lawsuit.
The family further alleges that this was not the first time their daughter experienced sexual harassment in school. In one instance, a boy allegedly touched her genitals over her clothing while an adult was in the room. On another occasion, she slapped a boy who tried to kiss her nonconsensually.
A spokesperson for Portland Public Schools said that the district learned about the additional allegations when the lawsuit was filed.
"We are mandatory reporters, meaning we must report any instance of possible child abuse and neglect," the spokesperson told Oregon Live.
"We take our responsibilities as mandatory reporters seriously and follow the law around reporting."
