Boy, 13, Alleges He Was Sexually Assaulted At SEED School Of Maryland
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—An investigation is underway at the SEED School of Maryland after a 13-year-old student alleges he was raped on campus.
The alleged incident occurred May 28 inside the boarding school's dormitory. The victim says a group of four or five boys held him down and sexually assaulted him using a toothbrush and pencil.
The victim reported the assault to his parents June 2.
The SEED School of Maryland released the following statement Monday afternoon:
"After we learned of the incident, the school leadership launched an investigation. As part of the investigation, we contacted the Baltimore Police Department, took verbal and written statements from all of the boys involved, took verbal and written statements from the counselor on duty when the alleged assault happened, spoke with all parents of the boys involved, and contacted the Maryland State Department of Education. Our leadership team is working closely with the affected student and his mother, assuring them of our due diligence and supporting them in whatever ways we can.
"As a result of our investigation, the students who allegedly committed the assault are now subject to dismissal hearings, which are ongoing. The counselor on duty at the time of the assault has been released as an employee of The SEED School of Maryland.
Additionally, we held all-staff and all-student meetings, using this time to re-iterate the importance of SEED's core values and ensuring we provide a safe and secure campus—our highest priority at SEED. All parents of our students were notified of the incident. We are also undergoing an internal review of our School's policies and procedures to confirm they are thorough and to improve them if necessary, in an effort to minimize the risk of such an incident happening again.
"SEED is continuing to work with the Baltimore Police Department and relevant authorities. We ask that you please give the affected student and his family space to handle this matter privately.
It is our top priority to provide a safe and nurturing campus for our students to live and learn. We take seriously the trust our families place in us to keep their children safe and to handle unfortunate situations like this one thoughtfully and swiftly."
The SEED School of Maryland is a residential boarding school for disadvantaged students.
