On Monday morning, hundreds of students from Norman High School in Oklahoma walked out of class demanding better treatment for three students who said they were raped.
Hundreds pouring out of school, crossing the street. Crowd is chanting "Whose school? Our school." #YesAllDaughters
Over the past year, three students at Norman High have accused the same teenager of rape, and now they're joining with community leaders and advocacy groups to demand a safer school.
The 18-year-old man allegedly recorded himself anally penetrating a 16-year-old girl in September and showed the video to his friends. In an audio recording of the alleged rapist discussing the incident with a friend, published on Jezebel, he referred to her as "asleep... like, incoherent."
The other students include a 14-year-old who said she was raped four days after the video was recorded and a 16-year-old who accused the teen of sexually assaulting her in a campus bathroom in January.
Norman police have not released the suspect's identity pending the outcome of an ongoing criminal investigation. He has, however, been suspended from the school.
Despite the suspect's suspension, the female students say they've been bullied, and told Jezebel they don't feel safe at school.
According to one of the accusers, a male student came up to her and said, "I hear you love being anally raped." She hit him with her book bag, and her boyfriend punched him in the face. All three were suspended.
The same teen also allegedly told the victim's mother that her daughter was a "harlot" who was "moaning like she loved it" in the video.
The girl still has not returned to school. When her mother asked a school administrator about her daughter's suspension, she said that the administrator suggested, "Maybe you should keep her out of school until this calms down."
The other two alleged victims told Jezebel that in addition to being bullied, they were mocked repeatedly at school.
"I'm scared," the 14-year-old victim said. "I know I'm not safe if I go back now. I just want to get my education and be happy at school and live a normal life."
Frustrated with their treatment at school, the victims sought help from a local knitting group who are also known to be feminist advocates.
With the support of Norman High students, the knitting group started a Facebook group and a hashtag, #yesalldaughters, and organized a protest.
On Monday, hundreds of students, joined by community members and parents, demonstrated outside the school.
Students are now cheering "Transfer is not the answer." @OKCFOX #YesAllDaughters
Organizers with #YESALLDAUGHTERS say the lives of these 3 girls have been put on hold. @OKCFOX #LiveOnOKCFOX
#Over a mile of people #YesAllDaughters
The protest began at 9:20 a.m. and will last until 4:20 p.m.
Protests continue through the lunch hour. A variety of chants, lots of honking from passing traffic. #yesalldaughters
On Monday morning, the students also presented the school adminstrators with a list of demands, which includes implementing a sexual assault bullying prevention program and creating a new position of Victims Advocate.
Date: November 24, 2014
Principal Beck
Norman High School
911 West Main St
Norman, Oklahoma 73069
Dear Mr Beck:
We respectfully submit the following as our list of demands:
•School must fully accommodate the educational needs of the victims and take all necessary steps to ensure the victims feel welcome and safe at all times on school grounds.
•School administration shall request a full investigation by law enforcement into the child pornography passed around school and into any teacher or administrator who failed to make mandatory reporting of child abuse as required by Oklahoma Statutes, Title 10, section 7103.
•School shall create a new, full time position of Victims Advocate for students who report sexual assault, sexual harassment, or bullying who is responsible for overseeing all such reports and following up with the student, the student's parents and law enforcement.
•School shall create a notice of victims' rights to be provided to any student who reports sexual assault, sexual harassment, physical assault, or bullying.
•School shall prioritize the immediate implementation of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and bullying prevention education for students and faculty.
•School shall promptly train all faculty on victim sensitivity and the appropriate response to reports of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and bullying.
•School shall establish a committee comprised of 3 students, 3 parents, and 3 faculty to oversee the implementation of these demands and to review the programs and policies implemented every 90 days.
Sincerely,
#YesAllDaughters
Administrators have yet respond to the demands, but the principal sent a letter last week stating that they wanted to "do everything we can to advocate for the safety and wellbeing of our students."
"Despite what rumors on social media may indicate," the principal wrote, "we have not — and would never — discipline a victim for being a victim."
#YesAllDaughters #OKgirls