Sexual Assault At Judge Frank Berry Middle School
May 13, 2009 by Morbid
Mesquite, Texas - I am posting this in hopes of satisfying my curiosity. I want to know what the hell happened in the bathroom at Judge Frank Berry Middle School that got 4 teen boys thrown in jail on attempted sexual assault charges. Details are sparse, aside from a letter sent to parents from the principal. What is known that sometime after school let out, 4 teens allegedly attempted to sexually assault a girl in one of the school’s restrooms.
Police are not releasing the names or ages of the accused or the accuser, but do admit that there is an active investigation regarding the April 6th incident. The letter from principal Sandra Bibb simply states:
Dear Parent:
I am aware that there are many rumors and questions circulating about an incident that occurred here at Berry Middle School last week. Please understand that this involves a very serious and sensitive matter and that I am limited in what details I can share with you. My staff and I are also unable to confirm or deny any allegations. As a parent myself, I can appreciate and understand this lack of information can be frustrating for you.
Let me first assure you that each student’s safety and well-being is at the forefront of every staff member’s mind each day. Neither students nor parents should have any cause to feel that safety at school is a concern. This was an isolated incident, and we do not believe there is any cause to believe that students are at risk now or in the future.
I can confirm that an incident involving students did occur after school at a time when students and most staff members would usually be out of the building; however, due to the privacy rights of those students involved, as well as legal limitations, I am unable to discuss the nature of the incident. As soon as my staff and I learned of this incident, those involved were dealt with swiftly, and the Mesquite Police began an investigation, which is still ongoing at this time.
Please understand that the details of this incident are being held in strict confidence. Even the Berry teachers and staff are unaware of the specific details of this case, and they are unable to answer any questions you may have.
It is certainly understandable that students might be fearful after hearing many of the rumors and allegations that are circulating around school and in the community. Our school counselor, Ms. Edwards, is extremely qualified to help any students who might need to talk about their feelings related to this incident. If you feel that your child might benefit from a meeting with the counselor, please feel free to contact my office or Ms. Edwards directly.
While I am limited in the information I can share with you, please do not hesitate to call me directly to discuss any questions or concerns you may have. Our goal as a campus is to restore a feeling of normalcy for our students and staff members as soon as possible. Please help us to accomplish this goal by refraining from gossip or speculation about the incident that occurred. Also be assured that the situation is being handled in the most serious way possible for all of those students involved.
Sincerely,
Sandra Bibb
Principal”
Best CYA letter ever featured on D’D? I think so. So what’s the deal? Anyone got some inside info they can share? Inquiring minds want to know.
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11:50 am on May 13th, 2009
I saw it on the news this morning, but no details are out yet on this case. I know that parents are upset to the fact that little is known about this.
12:19 pm on May 13th, 2009
Find out what school district it is and do a google search ___ISD Blogs. Sometimes teachers/administrators/parents will spill the beans in the blogs about what is really going on.
12:51 pm on May 13th, 2009
Marking my spot…I am one of those inquiring minds….lol!!!
12:52 pm on May 13th, 2009
Hope someone who knows something comes on here!!
2:20 pm on May 13th, 2009
I’ll ask my sister if she’s heard anything, even rumor. She lives in Mesquite Texas.
3:38 pm on May 13th, 2009
That was a pretty good cya letter. I would be pretty pissed if my child went to that school though because I am guessing the perps are still attending……hmmmm
4:42 pm on May 13th, 2009
I also live in Mesquite and the police are being very tight lipped about this. I haven’t heard anything through parents either.
Since they are all minors, we probably won’t hear much just yet.
4:47 pm on May 13th, 2009
Also, I am a long time lurker and a new poster. I love this site and all you guys who post daily are awesome.
4:55 pm on May 13th, 2009
Hello and thanks!
5:13 pm on May 13th, 2009
Best CYA letter ever covered on DD? Probably. CYA letter approved by legal? For sure.
IMO, the letter is a bit long winded but I understand they’re trying to cover all the bases. If I were a parent of a student at this school, it would make me have more questions (and do exactly what Sarabei is doing now).
I wonder how many parents got into their car and went to the school demanding an audience with the principal. I wouldn’t but you just know someone did, even if just to get on the local news.
Hello Mesquitegirl and welcome!
5:16 pm on May 13th, 2009
http://cbs11tv.com/local/mesquite.students.accused.2.1008946.html
students were unsupervised:
The Mesquite ISD is making changes after the attempted sexual assault of a student at a school, but the district is still refusing to answer several questions about the incident. And we’ve learned that the children were unsupervised in the building at the time.
As CBS 11 News first reported Tuesday night at 10, four middle school boys are accused of trying to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl in a bathroom at Berry Middle School on April 6.
The alleged attack happened after school hours.
None of the children is being identified because of their ages.
The district suspended the four boys, who remain out of school pending the outcome of the case. Two other boys were also disciplined for what the district says were lesser roles, but it won’t say what their roles were. Those two boys are now back at school.
Today, Mesquite ISD spokeswoman Laura Jobe told CBS 11 News when the alleged attack happened, the students were in a school building waiting for their parents to pick them up after tutoring sessions. No school personnel were in the hallways at the time, Jobe said.
Jobe also said district officials notified police when they learned of the incident, which she says was the next day.
Jobe says the school has surveillance cameras, and the district has given the video to police. She would not say whether the video shows the alleged attack.
District officials did not notify parents about the alleged incident until they sent home a letter on April 15. The letter gives no details, only calling it a “serious and sensitive matter.”
When asked to explain the delay in notifying parents, Jobe says district officials wanted to confirm the facts.
Jobe also refused to discuss whether there have been any previous disciplinary actions against the boys in question.
The school made supervisory changes after the alleged incident, Jobe says. Any students who are there for tutoring or detention will be escorted from the building by a teacher, she said. And teachers and other staff members will sweep the building at about 3:45 each afternoon to make sure no students are in the building and that all doors are locked.
5:19 pm on May 13th, 2009
i couldn’t figure out how to quote the article….but it seems as if all those comments on the web-sites I’ve been to who are somewhat blaming the girl should be eating their words soon. Seems like they caught it on tape.
8:09 pm on May 13th, 2009
How are they blaming the girl? Like she initiated it? Not that it couldn’t happen, just curious if that is what is being said.
8:17 pm on May 13th, 2009
That some how, because Dallas reporters suck at reporting stuff, it could all be a misunderstanding and that she initiated it and that because they got caught or whatever, she claimed it was an attempted sexual assault….no one really knows who’s who from what I can tell, but still, those comments irk me because the people who are commenting don’t even know the whole story. But maybe that’s just me. Slowly but surely, more information is being leaked. And it seems more and more that she was assaulted and not “claiming” attempted sexual assault as some seems to think.
8:22 pm on May 13th, 2009
Yeah, I was curious about that. It has a ring of truth to it, only because of the “attempted” portion of the charge. I thought that was kind of odd and figured that the circumstances surrounding the incident may not have been as cut-and-dried as a group of boys dragging an innocent chick in the bathroom for a little non-consensual in-and-out.
I mean, it very well may have been exactly that, but as you stated – without the details, all you can do is speculate.
9:02 pm on May 13th, 2009
I find it ironic that they teach kids to report bullying, sexual abuse, etc….and not hesitate, but once it is turned over to the adults all of a sudden “we can’t talk about it”, etc….and they stall their @$$es off leaving students and parents to worry or wonder what exactly happened. Many districts try to sweep it under the rug.
9:19 pm on May 13th, 2009
Cut ‘em some slack, Sir Geoff. Schools are in a lose-lose situation when this sort of thing occurs. If they stay quiet, they get the wrath of concerned parents. If they talk, they open themselves up to criminal charges and lawsuits. I’ll take angry parents over jail time or lawsuits any day.
Also, trying to keep an incident from being publicized is different from sweeping it under the rug. It’s really in the best interest of the victim.
9:28 pm on May 13th, 2009
I have to agree. As shitty as it may seem to the parents, the school has to protect itself as well as the students within it. I have no doubt that if they thought that any of the students involved were a threat to the rest of the student body, they would no longer be at the school. Which they are not. Once all the details come out, I am sure it will make a lot more sense.
9:39 pm on May 13th, 2009
Well, I think it’s pretty telling that – if I read it right – two of the four boys are already back at school and the other two are simply suspended. If the investigation had yielded anything substantial at this point, I’d think the school would have used emergency expulsion, instead.
Given the seriousness of the claim but the casual nature with which they’re treating the punishment at this point, I’d say that things are still very much up in the air, and if the school had absolute facts at its disposal, the suspension situation would be very different.
1:37 pm on May 14th, 2009
I don’t know how to quote what others have said, but that’s not what it said. It said 6 boys altogether were involved. 2 were suspended and are now back in school and the other 4 are still out.
I hope this doesn’t get ugly for the girl involved. Being a rape and molestation past victim myself, I know there is a tendency to blame the victim and say she asked for it or whatever. Even if she was sexually enticing them, so to speak… she is 12….and there were FOUR boys involved. Can we really place the blame on her?
9:07 pm on May 14th, 2009
I’m going to stick my neck out and wildy speculate that she made most of it up or heavily played along. Then she told a friend who told a friend….
Athena is right. the schools handling it correctly. It is a lose lose for them.
it will be interesting.
And hey mesquite girl, Welcome.If you are not in the forums allready, come have a look, loads of cool stuff like this there.
9:02 am on May 25th, 2009
At my daughter’s school, they have ‘lock down’ drills. When there is trouble (like the time a 5th grader decided to throw a major tantrum), they lock down the school, which consists of locking the kids in their classrooms for safety. When the incident with the 5th grader happened, my daughter came home and told me that they had a lock down. She was 6 at the time and of course had no idea why they locked the school down. When I asked the principal, I was given absolutely no info as it would be against their confidentiality/privacy policy. I then asked could they at least tell me what happened without giving identifying info-I just wanted to know if it was some random adult who wandered in off the street who caused the situation or a student. The answer was no-they would not tell me anything at all. I then told them I only had rumors to go on and they said not to believe what I hear. Well, if they didn’t want me to listen to bull, they’d give me some facts! I eventually got the story from the offending student’s fellow classmates. What’s interesting to note is that if my daughter were at someone’s home when the shit hit the fan and I sent her back without investigating the situation and ensuring her safety based on what I find out, I’d bet that Child Services would love to chat with me about my obvious lack of concern. Still, I am expected to just send her to school without knowing what the hell is going on. These stupid, evasive letters that the school sends home are only making parents view the schools suspiciously-they definitely do not calm any fears that parents may have. They could easily address what happened without giving too many details or identifying information; the media does it all the time.
9:08 am on May 25th, 2009
When there is trouble at my daughter’s school,(like the time a 5th grader decided to throw a major tantrum), they lock the school down, which consists of locking the kids in their classrooms for safety. When the incident with the 5th grader happened, my daughter came home and told me that they had a lock down. She was 6 at the time and of course had no idea what was going on. When I asked the principal, I was given absolutely no info as it would be against their confidentiality/privacy policy. I then asked could they at least tell me what happened without giving identifying info-I just wanted to know if it was some random adult who wandered in off the street who caused the situation or a student. The answer was no-they would not tell me anything at all. I then told them I only had rumors to go on and they said not to believe what I hear. Well, if they didn’t want me to listen to bull, they’d give me some facts! I eventually got the story from the offending student’s fellow classmates. What’s interesting to note is that if my daughter were at someone’s home when the shit hit the fan and I sent her back without investigating the situation and ensuring her safety based on what I find out, I’d bet that Child Services would love to chat with me about my obvious lack of concern. Still, I am expected to just send her to school without knowing what the hell is going on. These stupid, evasive letters that the school sends home are only making parents view the schools suspiciously-they definitely do not calm any fears that parents may have. They could easily address what happened without giving too many details or identifying information; the media does it all the time.
9:15 am on May 25th, 2009
Sorry for the double post-I tried to edit but don’t know what happened with my computer
11:02 am on June 23rd, 2009
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