Hesperia Unified didn’t respond properly after students slapped each other’s buttocks and called it “Slap Ass Friday,” the San Bernardino County civil grand jury said in its annual report, released Friday, June 29.
The behavior is sexual battery under California law, a detective in the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Crimes Against Children unit told the grand jury. The school district, however, only considers something sexual battery if it involves “skin-to-skin” contact and proof of sexual arousal, according to the report.
Female students subjected to the slapping were interviewed by male police and school officials, and at least one student was told to avoid the person slapping him or her by changing classes and spending free periods in the school office rather than on the outdoors campus, the report said.
Superintendent David Olney and other district officials didn’t return phone calls or emails Friday, when district offices are closed during the summer.
According to the report, an unnamed elected official described a slapping incident as “kids being stupid.”
Niccole Petersen, president of the Hesperia school board, declined to comment on the report or how elected officials planned to respond.
“You need to talk to the superintendent,” she said.
Eric Swanson, the board’s vice president, said he hadn’t yet read the report but would seriously consider any recommendations it included.
“Our No. 1 job is to keep kids and staff safe,” Swanson said. “Our teachers can’t teach and our students can’t learn if they don’t feel safe.”
Multiple parents said their child reported being slapped on the buttocks by another student, the report said. A school official allegedly said employees were aware of the incident and that an announcement would be made over the loudspeaker saying such behavior wouldn’t be tolerated.
When they asked why they hadn’t been contacted by the school, parents were told, “Well, you should have been,” the report stated. One parent said a school official referred to the slapping as “kids being kids.”
Schools in Florida and other states have reported students slapping buttocks and excusing it as “Slap Ass Friday” for several years. Urban Dictionary defined the term in 2006.
The grand jury report outlines several ways in which the district allegedly did not follow its own policy.
The policy states that the district will interview anyone who witnessed sexual harassment, but multiple parents said their children witnessed the slapping but hadn’t been interviewed.
The policy also requires the principal to prepare a written report within 30 days. Parents said they never saw any report, which district officials say is because of privacy requirements.
“We do take this stuff seriously, but unfortunately, a lot of times we can’t talk about these issues because they’re private,” Swanson said. “Parents want to know what you did about the student who did it. I can’t talk about that because of privacy issues.”
Further, the policy states, “As appropriate, the superintendent or designee shall notify the parents/guardians of victims and perpetrators.”
The grand jury recommends removing the word “appropriate” so that notifying parents is mandatory.
The district provides school officials sexual harassment training twice a year, but it doesn’t include sexual battery or assault.
The grand jury’s investigation also discovered that the district has video recordings on campus, but officials don’t know how long to keep the tapes. A policy on that must be “buried somewhere,” an official told the grand jury.
Other recommendations from the grand jury include:
- Training for all district employees about sexual harassment, sexual assault and sexual battery, including experts such as personnel from the Crimes Against Children Unit, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
- Develop a checklist of the steps to be taken when a complaint of sexual harassment, discrimination or bullying is received.
- Recruit and hire a female officer for the Hesperia Unified School District police force.
- Give all students age-appropriate training about offensive touching and conduct.
The district’s response to the grand jury is due by Sept. 27.
June 29, 2018
San Bernardino Sun
By Ryan Hagen
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