Response To Alleged Sexual Assault In Alexandria School Scrutinized

ALEXANDRIA, VA — After many parents found out about an alleged sexual assault at Alexandria City High School's Minnie Howard campus through a media report, officials defended how they handled the response.

The October 2021 alleged sexual assault with an arrest was identified in a school safety data report presented to the Alexandria School Board on March 10. As reported by National Review, one juvenile was charged with aggravated sexual, battery, rape, and forcible sodomy.

The case has since been resolved in court.

"In response to recent references in the media about a sexual assault involving juveniles in Alexandria, the City of Alexandria is aware of the incident, that it was adjudicated in Court, and that the defendant was acquitted," the city government said in a statement.

When parents recently learned about the incident, conversations centered around how it wasn't communicated to all parents. National Review and the Washington Post obtained emails showing Superintendent Gregory Hutchings Jr. notifying the Alexandria School Board members of a "potential sexual assault of a student by other students" that sent the victim to the hospital. The school board chair then notified the mayor and City Council members. The National Review article quoted parents upset that the school district didn't share the incident with all parents.

The city's statement noted information on cases involving juveniles must be confidential, per Virginia State Law Section 16.1 – 301.

Similarly, Chief of School and Community Relations Julia Burgos said in a statement "we are unable to provide information regarding specifics about students."

Burgos told the Washington Post the school district and police will notify parents about incidents "when there is a possible threat to campus safety." The parents of the students involved in the alleged assault were notified, according to Burgos.

The Virginia code section cited in the city statement notes police can notify a principal of a juvenile charged with a violent juvenile felony. A violent juvenile felony as defined by Virginia law can include murder, felonious injury by mob, abduction, malicious wounding, rape, forcible sodomy, and object sexual penetration, among other offenses. A principal can choose to share the information with the school district's threat assessment team. The Virginia code states the threat assessment team cannot disclose information or use information for a "purpose other than evaluating threats to students and school personnel."

The October 2021 alleged assault came the same month of a debate about school resource officers. Alexandria City Council had eliminated funding for school resource officers in the fiscal year 2022 budget, redirecting funds to mental health-related positions. But after the school year began with incidents of violence, Hutchings called on City Council to bring officers back. City Council reinstated the SRO program through the end of the school year but will consider an alternate school safety plan for the future. In December, two officers assigned to Alexandria City High School were put on leave due to a misconduct investigation, according to The Washington Post.