A pair of assistant principals in Rialto, California, have been taken into police custody for their alleged choice to not report three separate instances of sexual assault that took place in a high school to law enforcement officials.
The pair in question, 38-year-old David Yang and 37-year-old Natasha Harris, from Wilmer Amina Carter High School officials were officially placed in police custody on Wednesday. They were slammed with charges by the San Bernardino County District Attorney with two misdemeanor counts of failure to report child abuse or neglect and a count of child abuse, which is a felony, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.
“They’re mandated reporters and they are supposed to do their job,” stated the father of the teenage accuser to the outlet. “They should be held accountable every way shape and form possible.”
Another mother stated that her then 15-year-old daughter was the victim of assault this past November by a 17-year-old male but that the school did not help or do anything at all about it. The husband of the woman stated that their daughter was told, “Maybe it was the way you were dressed or you might be seeking attention.”
The parents found out about the allegation this past week in the wake of their daughter telling school staff she was being harassed by the alleged assaulter. After the complaint from the student at the school last week, it was discovered that another accuser came forward to administrators in early September of 2021. The alleged victims were 15 ad 16 at the time, and the same male student was labeled as the alleged assaulter. Police led the investigation.
“The safety and well-being of students is our number one priority. Accordingly, these allegations are taken with extreme seriousness,” one spokesperson for the school district stated. “The District will continue its internal investigation until all the facts related to this matter are brought to light. We will also continue to work with local authorities as they conduct their own investigation.”
Rialto, which is roughly one hour east of Los Angeles proper, takes care of well over 25,000 kids across 29 schools. The officials in custody currently have a bail set at well over $150,000, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. They have been placed in a detention center. California law states that school officials must report any and all cases of suspected child abuse or neglect to the authorities, as reported by the office of the district attorney.
“In this case, the assistant principals’ failure to report sexual assault on their campus erodes the trust that students and parents alike should have regarding the safety and protection of all the children in their care,” stated Jason Anderson, the San Bernardino County District Attorney. “Their failure as mandated reporters to notify law enforcement lead to further victimization of two students, and the sexual assault of a third victim, which was preventable.”
As of writing, the 17-year-old alleged perpetrator was given back to his parent’s custody according to a press release from Rialto Police Department.