School officials in Lisbon said they’re working to help students feel safe in the wake of an alleged sexual assault on school grounds.
A Lisbon High School senior posted about the attack on social media earlier this week, prompting a student protest Tuesday morning to call for more action from the school. The student said in the post that she was sexually assaulted in her car in the Lisbon High School parking lot on April 25.
The student said after the attack she was examined by a doctor and filed a report with the Lisbon Police Department. She has received a protection from harassment order, which limits contact with her alleged attacker, but she said she doesn’t feel safe enough to go to school because her attacker still attends classes.
Lisbon Schools Superintendent Richard Green said the alleged assault is under investigation, and no charges have yet been filed.
“I mean legally, both students have a right to a public education,” he said.
Green said school officials are having ongoing conversations with both families to see what they can do to allow each student to feel safe and protected.
The student also expressed concern in her Facebook post that surveillance cameras in the parking lot failed to capture the area where the incident occurred and haven’t been fixed. Green said he expects the cameras will be adjusted by the end of the week.
“Just recently the issue with that particular area has come to our attention,” he said. “They were professionally installed, and it’s not something you can just go up and change.”
Green said he’s hopeful there will be more public information within a week. He urged anyone with information about the alleged attack to contact his office or the Lisbon Police Department.
If you or someone you know needs resources or support related to sexual violence, contact the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault’s 24/7 hotline at 800-871-7741.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.