KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Public Schools officials have suspended six employees amid allegations from a 14-year-old autistic student who claims a boy repeatedly raped her at school.
The victim, whose name has not been released, told authorities that a 14-year-old male student raped her on numerous occasions at Southwest Early College Campus over the last month. The student also alleges that a 13-year-old girl stood in the hall as a lookout and that she was raped about the same time of day and out of view of security cameras, Associated Press reports.
Both the boy and the alleged lookout were charged in juvenile court with one count each of rape and sodomy.
The district had recently boosted security measures after a 17-year-old girl told police that two other students dragged her through a doorway and up a flight a stairs to a room where she was raped.
As part of the upgrades, the district started weekly safety reviews, upgraded the security camera system, viewed doors and locks, restricted access to isolated building areas and reinforced adult supervision of students when they are not in classes.
An investigation by the school district led officials to place six employees on leave, with Superintendent R. Stephen Green stating that he thought he had “staff lined up … to make sure an incident like that wouldn’t happen again.”
As the district continues its investigation, it is likely that other employees would be placed on administrative leave. Administrators will determine whether any KCPS employees will be dismissed once the investigation is completed.
