Maxwell: District takes rape allegations seriously

The superintendent of Pullman Public Schools wants to assure students and their families that the school district takes allegations of sexual assault seriously and has procedures in place to address these accusations.

On Friday, Pullman High School students walked out of class and marched to downtown Pullman to express their frustration with what they perceived as a lack of response from the district after a student reported being raped.

“I think the message we want to communicate to our parents is that we take any allegations of a sexual assault serious,” Superintendent Bob Maxwell said Monday.

He added that the district does “follow all of the policies and procedures regarding any alleged sexual assault that’s reported.”

That includes notifying the Pullman Police Department, which is currently investigating the allegation.

“In addition, we’ve been reaching out to students to inform them of what the process involves, and providing support and resources to anyone that needs it and to raise awareness,” Maxwell said.

An email signed by Maxwell and PHS principal Juston Pollestad was sent to students last week saying they are “aware of an individual posting information on social media regarding an alleged incident at Pullman High School.”

“The social media post is not true and the information shared is not accurate,” the email says. “Any alleged incidents reported to Pullman High School staff are investigated and reported to the proper authorities. We want to assure you that Pullman High School is a safe place for all.”

Maxwell said Monday the email is specifically referring to a claim that the district did not do anything about the reporting of the alleged sexual assault.

In addition to the police investigation, Maxwell said the school district does its own investigation when an assault is reported. This includes talking to the alleged victim, the alleged assailant and any witnesses.

Maxwell said a student accused of assault still has the right to attend classes during the investigation. However, the school monitors the situation and does its best to make sure the alleged victim does not come in contact with that person, he said.

He said the district wants to make sure the students feel safe at school. He said if they are aware of a sexual assault, they can report that to a staff member, counselor or administrator. Parents with questions or concerns can contact the school, he said.

“We know that’s a very serious issue and that we want to make sure that we’re communicating with our student body and making sure we are working with them to make sure that they feel safe at school,” Maxwell said.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.