On the weekend of August 14, 2021, survivors made public posts on social media detailing their experience with sexual assault and rape, naming perpetrators. This was after multiple students filed complaints to the Logan Administration. The posts made clear that the survivors saw the need for a change in how these allegations are dealt with.
“I think the culture of Logan. That’s the problem, because it is very patriarchal, and I think girls are kind of put in a box of how they should or shouldn’t act, how they should or shouldn’t dress,” said Mani Allen, an Ethnic Studies teacher at James Logan High School. The survivors called out James Logan and the administration on their failure to handle the situation in a way that gave them the justice they deserved. Students have demanded change regarding not only the way this was handled but also to shift the culture within the school.
Although these events are specific to the New Haven Unified School District, they are representative of a pressing issue across the country. An article published in 2021 by Legal Jobs detailed statistics in regards to sexual assault: nearly 80% of female sexual assault victims experience their assault before they are even 25 with 90% of rape survivors being women and 82% adolescent. People between the ages of 14-17 were most likely to be sexually harassed. Despite right-wing media’s attempts to doubt the validity of sexual assault claims, only 5% of sexual assault claims filed are proven to be false.
Ron Polk, the principal of James Logan High School, said that he was glad that survivors went public with their stories.
”As a male I can’t even fathom what it would be like, you know, to be a female and have to deal with that situation personally,” Polk said. His initial thought was to fix the situation. He “wanted to make sure that everybody was taken care of’ but later realized that was not the best approach for the survivors.
“As I reflect on it now. I think many of the survivors wanted to be heard, you know, … to get the message out and then for us to do something different,” Polk said.
Since then, he has stepped back and let a female administrator start handling what is happening and what changes need to be made. Allen explained that she believes teachers need to be better equipped to provide support to and for survivors who need it.
“We need to start training teachers. One by one, so then the teachers can talk about it to students. It’s just the whole global change at Logan and the district level,” Allen said.
Polk says that change needs to be sustainable. Pushing consent week up was one of the solutions that were offered, but this topic shouldn’t be something that is only talked about for a week and then forgotten again. Polk and the administration are “trying to figure out ways in which we can kind of ingrain that message, throughout the school year, always at the forefront.” Polk also said that there should have been more support for the survivors.
A desire to be listened to seemed to be at the heart of the public social media postings.
“They want to be heard. They want people to acknowledge that harm has been done,” Allen said. “They want to know that they’re going to be supported through it, even if it happened five years ago. They still want to know that we, as the adults of Logan, are going to support them through it, and they also want to have faith. They want to know that if they are touched inappropriately and they go to someone, it’s going to be solved in a way that keeps them safe. And there are consequences for the other person.”
The Logan administration “wants students to be able to feel safe,” Polk said. Students here have a voice and they have full support to create the change they want.
For anyone who is struggling with sexual assault and harassment, there is a hotline for help: 1-800-656-4673. You can also go to trusted teachers, counselors, or administrators on campus to talk. There are two social workers and a family service assistant at Logan. There is also a psychologist on campus to provide support and help. Don’t be silent.
