"Failure to Report: Five School Employees Arrested in Teen's Sexual Assault Case"
Five employees of Palm Beach Central High School in Florida, including the principal and assistant principals, have been arrested on felony charges for allegedly failing to report a sexual assault of a teenager by two boys. The assault was reported in a handwritten letter given to a chorus teacher in June 2021, but the allegations did not reach authorities for months. The employees, considered mandatory reporters of child abuse under Florida law, face up to five years in prison if convicted. The victim attempted suicide during a school trip, and a deputy stated that the suicide attempt could have been prevented if the allegations had been properly addressed. The employees have been reassigned to roles with no contact with students, and the school district maintains that its policy aligns with the law requiring the reporting of suspected abuse.