Almost five years after the death of Lauren McCluskey, schools across Utah are still facing issues about sexual assault and violations of Title IX. The recent news that came out of the Alpine School district was atrocious and sickening. There were so many girls and children who were harmed in a place that swore to protect them. This is reflective of the case with Lauren McClusky who had reported harassment to the police of both the University of Utah and Salt Lake City. However, neither group took effective action to prevent the sexual assault that would lead to a tragic death of McCluskey.
A written article by Courtney Tanner described the several situations in which adults responsible for children in the Alpine School District did not protect those children from sexual assaults. Even when these situations were reported, many excuses were made as to why consequences weren’t handed out. This is all extremely frustrating because it feels like we are shouting into a void that isn’t learning and growing from past situations. They are allowing for these situations to continue which can lead to more assaults happening because they are unregulated.
With all this said, I am glad to see that there are some ramifications that are being put into place at the Alpine School District, even if it is being ordered by federal investigators. Yet, there is so much to do. I believe that these schools need to create a better system that has the support of their communities. Yet, this won’t be an easy path due to all the distrust in the system that has been built up. These situations need to be dealt with head on with the privacy of the children and families being taken care of. My hope is for our children to be able to go to school without worry of injury or harassment. To be able to call school a safe place in which they can learn and grow in a healthy environment.
Kennya Casiano Barriga, Midway
