NORTH VERNON, Ind. – Authorities in Jennings County have apprehended a 15-year-old student following allegations of sexual assault against another student, a special needs student, aboard a school bus.
According to local law enforcement, the alleged assault happened on Wednesday, April 16, and police were notified the following day, leading to the arrest of the teen suspect on a preliminary charge of rape. The juvenile was placed in secure detention.
Jennings County School Corporation released the following statement regarding the supposed episode:
“We have become aware of a significant concern regarding events that occurred on one of our special transportation buses. Our thoughts are with those impacted by this difficult situation. We assure you that the safety and well-being of our students is our priority. We have responded by reviewing and increasing our safety protocols.
We are also working closely with authorities to address this situation. We realize that our community would like detailed information about the event, but at this time, we must make sure that we do not hinder the police investigation. This incident is deeply concerning to us, and we want to assure you that we are taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our students.
Our special transportation buses have additional adult supervision, a recorded monitoring system, and fewer students. We will be further adding safety measures to seat students individually when possible. If students must be seated in assigned pairs, they will be grouped with similar-aged peers, and additional adult supervision will be provided on that bus. We will also be requiring similar peer-aged seating on all general education bus routes.
We sincerely care about the safety and well-being of our students and will work together with our families to support their needs and help address any parent concerns. This incident does not represent our values or our care for students, and we will work diligently to address that concern
. We are consulting with our local law enforcement and agencies for any additional suggestions or recommendations to support the type of safe and caring environment we strive to provide on our transportation and in all environments of our schools.”
