OH: girl assaulted on tape, principal covers it up, nobody charged

[citydogisu]

http://www.nbc4i.com/news/4374697/detail.html

Witnesses: Disabled Girl Punched, Forced To Perform Sex Acts
Incident Captured On Videotape

UPDATED: 10:05 am EDT April 13, 2005

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Witnesses said several students saw a girl being punched and forced to engage in videotaped sexual acts with several boys in the Mifflin High School auditorium.

According to witness accounts given to school investigators, a 16-year-old developmentally-delayed student claimed she was dragged into the auditorium and was forced to perform oral sex on at least two boys, while more than a dozen other students were called to watch.

One student reportedly videotaped the sex acts, NBC 4's Colleen Marshall reported.

"If you scream, I'll have my boys punch you," one student witness reported hearing an attacker warn the girl.

Then the student saw the girl drop to her knees after she was punched in the face, Marshall reported.

The students scattered when help was called, witnesses said.

Special education teacher Julie Calvario said the girl told her, "She was scared and told him to stop, but he hit her in the head and told her to be quiet."

But even after they were alerted to the alleged criminal acts, administrators did not call police or the victim's father, NBC 4 reported.

More than one hour later, teacher Lisa Upshaw called the father, and said when he arrived he, "asked if we were going to call the police. Mr. (Richard) Watson said, No, we don't want to do that. We don't want the police.'"

Watson is one of three assistant principals suspended for 10 days, NBC 4 reported. Principal Regina Crenshaw will likely lose her job.

The father called police after Upshaw told him, "This is child abuse. She needs medical attention and this is wrong."

Upshaw also told the father, "he needed to take the victim to the hospital, and that she was a walking crime scene."

Administrators reportedly warned the father that if police were called, the news media would follow.

Police now have the videotape and the investigation is continuing. So far, no charges have been filed.