Atlanta Police report that on May 8 a male at North Atlanta High School raped a female autistic student on the high school campus during school hours.
On May 20, North Atlanta High School Principal Howard Taylor wrote a letter to parents informing them of the ongoing investigation.
“Although no charges have been filed, we take the allegations seriously, and we will remain vigilant in ensuring that we provide a safe and secure learning environment for our students,” Taylor’s letter says. To read Taylor’s full letter, click here.
Taylor’s letter, posted on the school’s website, came after Reporter Newspapers contacted Atlanta Public Schools spokesman Stephen Alford and Board of Education Member Nancy Meister about the incident. Alford and Meister said they had not heard about the incident prior to the Reporter’s phone call.
Atlanta Police spokeswoman Kim Jones said there have been no arrests in the case. Police included details of the incident in the police blotter it sends out periodically to community groups and media.
The report claims that the unidentified suspect approached the victim during lunch hours and took her to the girl’s bathroom near the school gymnasium. The report alleges the suspect raped the victim in the bathroom. The police report says the assault ended when the victim’s teacher knocked on the bathroom door and the girl left the restroom without reporting the incident to the teacher or school officials.
Newspapers usually do not identify victims of sexual assault and do not typically identify juvenile suspects. The police report does not name the suspect or specify whether he was a fellow student.
Police learned of the incident later after the girl told her mother. Police reported the girl was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Alford said standard APS procedure is to notify parents when an incident like this occurs.
Taylor did not respond to an email and phone message left by Reporter Newspapers.
In his letter, Taylor writes that the girl came forward with her allegations on May 9.
“After we were advised of the reported incident, we immediately reported the allegation to law enforcement officials, and informed the student’s parents,” Taylor said.