'You Have Demonized Our Kids': Little Elm High School Parents Lecture School Board Over Police Handling Of Student Walkout
LITTLE ELM, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - What was billed as a "listening session" turned into a heated meeting Tuesday night in Little Elm.
It turned into a lecture from outraged parents who are upset over a student walkout nearly two weeks ago that led to police deploying Tasers and pepper spray.
Angry families demanded accountability of Little Elm ISD administrators for their handling of sexual assault complaints within the high school as well as the harsh police response to a student demonstration.
Parents of students who were on the receiving end of Tasers and pepper spray inside Little Elm High School didn't hold back during their chance to confront the school board over the police response 11 days ago to a student protest.
"You have demonized our kids, demonized the sexual assault victims, allowed our children to be tased, manhandled, arrested and jailed," said one parent.
"What went on at this school on November 19th was unacceptable," said another.
The heavy-handed tactics used by officers happened during a walkout by students in support of female classmates complaining of sexual abuse.
The father of the sophomore who students were demonstrating in support of, accused the school district of not believing her claims of being molested on a bus.
After the meeting, Jaelyn Alvarez told CBS 11 she stands by her account and hope's Tuesday night's meeting will get her heard.
"Not only my father but other parents have brought my voice and others out so now we're being heard, because we before we weren't really been taken seriously, and now I think this is happening we're gonna be taking way more seriously," said Alvarez.
One thing the parents seemed to agree on is they don't want the officers who deployed pepper spray and used tasers on students to be on campus unless there's an emergency, saying they have lost the trust of those they are supposed to protect.