A school bus chaperone who was accused of sexually assaulting a non-verbal child continued working with students for months despite a police investigation, prompting an apology from the state's education department. The allegation was denied by the chaperone and did not lead to charges, but the investigation found that the principal and assistant principal failed to adequately address the situation, amounting to "neglect" of their students' safety.
The girl's mother reported the incident months ago, after noticing her daughter's pants were low and her underwear was visible when she dropped off the bus. She immediately alerted the school principal, who told her to contact police if she believed something had happened. The mother later reported the incident to police, but for months during the investigation, the chaperone remained employed on the bus.
The mother said she was "in disbelief" when she learned of the chaperone's continued employment and felt that the school wasn't taking the allegations seriously. She expressed her frustration in a conversation with the assistant principal, who told her the chaperone had not been charged with any offenses and was presumed innocent under the law.
A senior constable with the Victoria police officer's unit told the mother that the bus company employed the chaperone and the school had no say in the matter. The mother received a letter of apology from the education department, acknowledging that they failed to implement adequate risk mitigation strategies during the investigation.
The education secretary at the time expressed "sincere apologies" for the department's failure to respond adequately to the allegations. They accepted the outcomes of the investigation and implemented changes, including increased resourcing to help schools respond to sexual harm allegations.
An education spokesperson said that every child deserves to feel safe at school and that any form of violence against children is not tolerated. The department has undertaken a "comprehensive review" of its safeguarding policies and procedures in response to the matter.
The girl's mother reported the incident months ago, after noticing her daughter's pants were low and her underwear was visible when she dropped off the bus. She immediately alerted the school principal, who told her to contact police if she believed something had happened. The mother later reported the incident to police, but for months during the investigation, the chaperone remained employed on the bus.
The mother said she was "in disbelief" when she learned of the chaperone's continued employment and felt that the school wasn't taking the allegations seriously. She expressed her frustration in a conversation with the assistant principal, who told her the chaperone had not been charged with any offenses and was presumed innocent under the law.
A senior constable with the Victoria police officer's unit told the mother that the bus company employed the chaperone and the school had no say in the matter. The mother received a letter of apology from the education department, acknowledging that they failed to implement adequate risk mitigation strategies during the investigation.
The education secretary at the time expressed "sincere apologies" for the department's failure to respond adequately to the allegations. They accepted the outcomes of the investigation and implemented changes, including increased resourcing to help schools respond to sexual harm allegations.
An education spokesperson said that every child deserves to feel safe at school and that any form of violence against children is not tolerated. The department has undertaken a "comprehensive review" of its safeguarding policies and procedures in response to the matter.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one... it's like, how did this even happen? The chaperone was still on the bus for months after the allegations surfaced? That's just wrong. And to think the principal and assistant principal didn't do enough to address the situation... that's neglect, plain and simple. 
I'm so sorry for the little girl who went through this, and her mom is right to be furious. The education department finally apologized and acknowledged their mistakes, but it's not just about them saying sorry - it's about making sure this doesn't happen again. Schools need to prioritize kids' safety above all else. 
. I'm glad the education department finally stepped up and apologized, but a bit too little, too late don't you think? We need to do better to keep our kids safe 
. And what's with the "neglect" of student safety? That's a serious accusation that shouldn't be taken lightly 
I mean, come on! A chaperone who's accused of sexually assaulting a non-verbal child gets to keep working with students for months?! That's just wrong 
. The mom's frustration is totally justified - it's not okay that she was made to wait for months while her daughter's safety was potentially at risk 
. And what about the principal and assistant principal who allegedly failed to address the situation? They should be taking some serious heat 
.
. I remember when we were kids, our teachers and principals would never even think about letting someone who was accused of something like that stay on the job, you know? They'd be outta there in a heartbeat! But now it seems like they're more worried about not being sued than actually protecting those kids 
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. No charges, no nothing. Just an apology from the school and that's it. I mean, I get apologies, but where's the accountability?! Where's the action?!
. Every kid deserves to feel safe at school, period. Can't stress that enough 
.
... anyway, I wonder if they're still serving those delicious lavender lattes I loved last summer... or did I dream that? 
and speaking of which, have you tried their new cold brew? My friend swears by it!
The fact that they continued to be employed for months despite the investigation is just, like, mind-blowing. And the principal and assistant principal didn't do enough to address it either...neglect is such a harsh word but I guess it's what happened here 
I mean, what kind of system allows this to happen? The fact that the school didn't take immediate action and the bus company just employed them again is shocking. And now they're saying they've implemented changes... we'll see about that 
. It feels like they're more concerned with saving face than protecting our kids' safety.
. I mean, what even is "neglect" of student safety? How do you neglect someone's safety when they're being abused? 
and I'm so glad the education department is doing some soul searching 
. Can't wait to see what changes they implement 
!
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. how can you just keep someone who might've hurt your kid on the job while you investigate? 
it's like they were hoping nothing would happen 
. this is why we need stricter protocols and consequences for negligence 
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at least something good came out of it. i feel bad for that mom who had to go through all this stress because of the school's incompetence. schools need better systems in place to deal with these kinds of situations ASAP! 
Not taking the mom seriously when she first reported something is not okay.
What really went on behind closed doors during that investigation? The education secretary is talking about increased resourcing and comprehensive reviews, but I'm not buying it. Something fishy is going on here. 
. I mean, I've heard of "business as usual" but this is just crazy talk 
. Can't we do better than this? Every child deserves a safe and supportive learning environment 
. Let's make sure our schools are held to high standards for protecting vulnerable students 
#JusticeForTheChild #SafeSchoolsMatter #AccountabilityNow
. And now the education department's all like "we're sorry" but what are they actually doing to change it?