Suffolk County To Launch New Sexual Assault Prevention Program

BABYLON, NY — The Babylon School District, in partnership with Suffolk County officials, will be launching a new pilot program to prevent and combat sexual assault and harassment.

Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone, alongside Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey, Babylon School District Superintendent Linda Rozzi, Crime Victims Center Executive Director Laura Ahearn, and Babylon student ambassadors, announced on Thursday that the "School District Advocate Program," will be incorporated into the district this fall.

The program, which Ahearn said will change public schools and shift culture in a significant way, comes after the Babylon School District was rocked by accusations of abuse by teachers going back decades.

Ahearn stated that the program will have three main parts: advocacy, accompaniment and information; education and training; and student ambassadors.

Through the initiative, the district will continue to receive additional child and adult sexual assault prevention education programs and trainings, she said.

When a student and/or parent files a report regarding accusations of sexual harassment, physical or sexual abuse, or any other issue regarding a district employee, a trained CVC advocate will be dispatched to their school, to ensure that they receive proper information and support, Bellone said.

Another key aspect of the program is the engagement of student ambassadors, who will take on leadership roles and spread awareness on sexual assault.

Seven Babylon students have already undertaken these roles, Ahearn said, by handing out flyers and creating events during April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Ava Rossler, an eighthi-grader at Babylon Junior-Senior High School, spoke to Patch about why she felt the need to become an ambassador.

"I think that they should bring up the issue more because it happens and people are not educated enough," she said.

Last month, she said, she felt frustrated on how National Poetry Month gained more attention the important issue.

"I feel like Sexual Assault Awareness Month just got overpowered by poetry in the building (Babylon Junior-Senior High School)," she said.

Rozzi, who will be retiring from her position in June, said she is saddened to not see the program come into fruition during her time at the helm, but is happy to have seen it come together.

"Today is a great day. It's a day that culminates months of partnership,"said Rozzi. "Babylon really is a wonderful community. We could be the example for others to emulate these programs and advocacy initiatives."

Both Bellone, McCaffrey, and Ahearn stated that the issue of abuse was not unique to the Babylon School District, but is a systemic problem in institutions nationwide.

"We live in a culture that has normalized, minimized, and to some degree, accepted the sexual victimization and sexual harassment of women and girls and our most vulnerable," she said.

One in four girls and one in 13 boys will be sexually victimized before the age of 18, said Ahearn. More than 90 percent of those victimized are abused by a perpetrator who a child already trusts.

"I don't know about you, but I'm still shocked by that," she said.

Babylon Alumni & Allies for change, an advocacy group for alumni who say they were sexually and/or emotionally abused by district employees, said in a statement that the initiative is a "positive is a positive step forward in addressing the abuses brought to light" by Babylon alumni.

"BAAC is cautiously optimistic about the pilot and looks forward to learning greater details about the program," they wrote. "However, we feel strongly about the necessity of centering survivors in any strategic response to outcries of sexual violence and hope that the institutions organizing such will include the victims themselves to inform any strategy going forward."

Ahearn said that numerous sexual assault survivors, who are both current and former students collaborated and provided input into the new initiative, and played an integral role.

"All we do is work with survivors. They all inform us," she said. "They specifically tell us what went wrong, what they would like to see."

The announcement comes two months after teacher Timothy Harrison was arrested and charged for raping a 15-year-old student in 2013.

Since October 2021, numerous alumni have accused teachers of sexual and emotional abuse, some claims dating back to the 1980s. Their claims led Attorney General Letitia James to launch an investigation into the district in November.

"I am in awe of the courageous individuals who have come forward. I can only imagine how challenging and scary painful it is to share these stories," said Bellone, whose children go to school in the district. "What we can do is to make every effort possible to ensure that the resources, guidance, training and education are in place to prevent and protect our children."