Memo to the File

Memo to the File

Melissa Ann Downey is a 14-year-old student living in Rockford, Victoria, with her parents. She is a ninth-grader at Rockford High School and a victim of sexual harassment by another student at her school. I met with Melissa yesterday to get all the details on her claims of being sexually harassed, and if she was willing or still adamant in getting a lawsuit against her district. Melissa, at first, was open to the idea of narrating to me her side of the story, explaining how she broke up with Brian Douglas after he had started becoming obnoxious towards her since she was interested in sex alone. However, Melissa was too distraught to continue with the interview since she had become emotionally traumatized by her reputation and image being tarnished in her school by Brian’s efforts in humiliating her.

Considering the emotional and psychological state of Melissa, another source of information that would either support the claim or not had to be approached. Chalin Marie Gardner, Melissa’s best friend, came forward and proved to be useful in giving all the details of what had happened to her friend. Chalin and Melissa have been best friends since the fifth grade and share three classes together. Chalin’s accounts for Melissa’s harassment began after her break up with Brian. On September 20, Chalin recounts Brian making inappropriate sexual advances on Melissa through bodily contact. Chalin also tried to get one of the teachers, Miss Wilkin to intervene. However, the teacher’s efforts were unsuccessful as Chalin recounts Brian still bothering Melissa to the point that she left and didn’t eat.

The fact that Miss Wilkin’s presence is all over the school, her efforts in addressing Brian’s efforts of continuously harassing Melissa is not evident. Chalin acknowledges that she has told Miss Wilkin about Brian harassing Melissa, but no visible course of action had been made by her or even the school. On September 23, Chalin and Melissa were at the parking lot, waiting for their parents to pick them up. Brian and three of his friends, Tim McIntire, Paul Rigney, and James Penn, made sexually harassing comments towards Melissa. These comments referred to Brian and Melissa “screwing all summer” and how the entire school children fraternity “knew every inch of her body,” and how all of them would read it on the internet. The sexual harassment acts continued on September 25, when she was held up against her locker and grabbed by Brian and Tim.

Chalin, on the same day, reported Melissa’s case of sexual harassment to the school. She approached Mrs. Garrett and told her about all the remarks and actions that Melissa had undergone from Brian and her friends. Chalin filled out a form, as per school policy, that elaborated on all the allegations against Brian and his friends. She also mentioned Miss Wilkins’s inability to intervene in the issue when they were reported.

Chalin seems troubled on the issue of Miss Wilkin’s inability to help Melissa and the fact that the school never followed up on her claims, despite assuring her that they would follow up on the issue. I told her that with all the information she had given me, I would still have to do more research, especially when it came to Melissa’s side of the story. Since Chalin was not directly involved in these sexual harassment acts, I told her that her facts and story should be just the same as she had told me.

However, Chalin’s story is one that has many loopholes, especially when it comes to her recollection of events on Melissa’s sexual harassment. She seems to be uncertain when it comes to specific dates or times, or even whoever was present at the moment that Melissa was being harassed by Brian. I asked Melissa’s parents if I could talk to her to get additional information from her. However, her parents felt that she still was not comfortable talking to anyone other than her mother.

I told Chalin and Melissa’s parents that they had a strong case against the district, despite her and her family not wanting to pursue a lawsuit. Her accounts of Melissa’s sexual harassment would be backed up once I did my research with other children in the school. I told her that I would also need to approach Miss Wilkins and Mrs. Garrett on the issue and get all the information that I would need to build a case. Carrying out such research would help me get unbiased stories about Brian and his friends, and if such actions are a common thing within Rockford High School.

I strongly suggested that Chalin, maybe together with her parents, discuss with Melissa’s parents the need to sue the school for sexual harassment even though Melissa’s family had dropped the idea. We set up a second interview for October 2. I said I would research on the cases in the state that deal with sexual harassment of underage girls, particularly in schools, since it is considered as a delicate case in the courts. The courts are strict and always require that both the plaintiff vs. the accused be present. Since this would be a juvenile case, it means that other agencies such as child services would also be involved, thus making the case a bit technical. Melissa has a chance to succeed in her claim, but I will have a better stand after conducting my own research. Melissa and Chalin will be credible witnesses. Other children might also have fallen prey to acts of sexual harassment in the school. I will also have to get a clear picture of Rockford High School and, if there have been previous cases of children being sexually harassed in the past, to provide a go-ahead with Melissa’s lawsuit.