Respuesta del tomador de decisión.
Respuesta de Pembroke Pines Charter High School Administration
Pembroke Pines Charter High School Administration
6 jun 2020
As principal of PPCHS, I am devastated to read and hear and watch accounts of student experiences being sexually assaulted, traumatized or harassed. My heart breaks for the victims and I applaud their courage coming forward to share their stories.
As a school, a community and a society, we need to do better to educate and inform our students about the consequences for sexual assault, harassment and misconduct. But, further, we need to create a climate of trust and security for students to come forward to share their experiences and provide the care and support needed by the victims.
The faculty and staff at PPCHS care deeply about our students’ well being. I think that the Class of 2020 knows as well as any class the lengths we are willing to go to provide our students with care and support at times when there are no easy answers.
In fact, this past week I have had multiple productive conversations with recent 2020 graduates on how to best address this very issue. These include suggestions for an education and awareness campaign to our student body as well as making it the key focus of our Senior Privilege program next year. Of course this is just the start. It is clear to me that we need on-going discussions and actions that can work to prevent other students from experiencing similar trauma.
Whether intentional or not I was disappointed to see that one perception being promoted seems to be that the school has not taken any action or attempts to cover up such issues. And I could spend considerable time refuting or clarifying some of the accounts that contain missing information and details pertaining to the school response. However, this would neither be productive or, in some cases, legal per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). In the end, it would solve nothing and likely only cause additional pain.
The more important point is that each of the young women that came forward (and surely others who choose not to come forward) had terrible experiences. There is no denying the anguish and sadness and anger that they are feeling. To any student that has felt that the school has failed them in their time of need, you have my full and sincere apology.
We can and we will do better to address sexual misconduct not only within our school population, but in the larger community of college and the workforce where our students will all find themselves very soon.
Thank you for this opportunity to respond.
As a school, a community and a society, we need to do better to educate and inform our students about the consequences for sexual assault, harassment and misconduct. But, further, we need to create a climate of trust and security for students to come forward to share their experiences and provide the care and support needed by the victims.
The faculty and staff at PPCHS care deeply about our students’ well being. I think that the Class of 2020 knows as well as any class the lengths we are willing to go to provide our students with care and support at times when there are no easy answers.
In fact, this past week I have had multiple productive conversations with recent 2020 graduates on how to best address this very issue. These include suggestions for an education and awareness campaign to our student body as well as making it the key focus of our Senior Privilege program next year. Of course this is just the start. It is clear to me that we need on-going discussions and actions that can work to prevent other students from experiencing similar trauma.
Whether intentional or not I was disappointed to see that one perception being promoted seems to be that the school has not taken any action or attempts to cover up such issues. And I could spend considerable time refuting or clarifying some of the accounts that contain missing information and details pertaining to the school response. However, this would neither be productive or, in some cases, legal per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). In the end, it would solve nothing and likely only cause additional pain.
The more important point is that each of the young women that came forward (and surely others who choose not to come forward) had terrible experiences. There is no denying the anguish and sadness and anger that they are feeling. To any student that has felt that the school has failed them in their time of need, you have my full and sincere apology.
We can and we will do better to address sexual misconduct not only within our school population, but in the larger community of college and the workforce where our students will all find themselves very soon.
Thank you for this opportunity to respond.
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