TW: Sexual Assault and Harassment

Monta Vista High School has had numerous accounts of sexual assault and harassment perpetrated by their school athletes. In our school, a culture of sexual violence has persisted. From the name “FRape” (the Freshman R•pe dance, a nickname for the welcome dance) to lewd and inappropriate “locker room talk.” People in our school have consistently engaged in sexually violent speech and behavior and have faced little to no repercussions. This environment has caused many students to feel afraid and unsafe in their own school. Athletes specifically have faced this fear in their sports because they have to share the same athletic spaces with known perpetrators. They also have their locker rooms located in close proximity to those of teams with assaulters. These athletes and students have to face this fear every day while the perpetrators who create this environment are not held accountable.

To address this culture of fear, we demand that the administration take action in order to ensure that the perpetrators of sexual assault and harassment are held accountable and that the current culture of sexual harassment in Monta Vista sports is addressed and stopped. We propose that any known or accused perpetrators are suspended from sports until investigations and accusations have ceased. In order to eradicate the culture of sexual violence, we request that a curriculum is taught to coaches regarding sexual violence/harassment. In addition, each team must be taught about sexual violence and harassment prevention at the beginning of their seasons. Finally, we ask for a system to tackle locker room culture and comments that contribute to sexual violence. We ask that any athlete whom an educator or student has witnessed making comments pertaining to the sexualization, violence, or harassment of another individual has consequences for their actions. We propose a system of probation and education. We acknowledge that there is no point in punishment if students do not learn from it. For this reason, we ask that if a student has been reported for vulgar language pertaining to sexual violence/assault, they must attend an additional lesson on consent, the effect of language, and respect of fellow students, and they must be placed on probation for however long the coach(es) see fit. We have cited a few lesson plans directed to tackling the issue of sexual assault and how it is embedded in our society. One curriculum in particular, “Coaching Boys to Men'' which was initially sponsored by the CDC, has been proven to be effective in many schools across the nation, and we ask you to look at it to form a similar model. With the end of many sports seasons coming very soon, we request immediate action to permanently change the Monta Vista culture. We believe in our school and our district to change our culture and improve the experience of athletes at Monta Vista. We implore you to sign this petition in order to demand change from the administration at MV.

We demand action: 

Have a curriculum taught to athletes and coaches at MV regarding sexual violence/harassment prevention
A system that educates and provides consequences to any players who have encouraged the culture of sexual violence/harassment, that will be continuous in the years to come.
The enforcement of the Athletic Code of Conduct ensuring that accusations are investigated.

Other action items will be discussed with the district