Whereas there are many things to this that completely individual to Celeste, there are others that have sent off an alarm for loopholes that affect every child in the Commonwealth. In addition to remedy for Celeste, the importance of making legislative change is vital. No family should go through what Celeste and the Millers are going through. As such, making lasting policy change is imperative to protect all of our children from sexual assault. We are asking for the following:
A Department of Education Policy that Requires All Bathrooms in Any Schools be Checked in No More than Ten Minute Intervals.
The time that it takes for an assault isn’t small. It is vital that areas with minimal visibility are checked in intervals so that there is limited opportunity for things like this to take place. This can be done by any school staff and should be documented in a log.
An Annual Sexual Assault Workshop for Grades K-12 with Parent Opt-Out
This workshop would cover bad touching for elementary aged students and sexual assault and sexual harassment overviews for children from grades 6 through 12. If parents would like to cover this at home, parent opt-out should be provided.
A Sexual Assault Hotline Overseen by the District Title IX Coordinator
This will allow children to be able to report sexual assault complaints in a way that is minimally invasive and without the risk of retaliation
Mandatory Crisis Intervention for Sexual Assault Victims
An outside therapist with training in child trauma should be available for any student who has been sexually assaulted or harassed within a school district at the district’s expense
Reporting that Provides Teachers with the Ability to Implement Risk Mitigation Strategies for Students Who Have Been Recommended for Long Term Suspension or Expulsion
Hampton City Schools calls them “Category 5 Offenses,” but this should apply to any behaviors where the police department has the ability to be contacted. Similar to a Behavior improvement Plan for an IEP (used in special education), teachers should be provided with information related to the offense that a student has been disciplined for in order to implement risk mitigation not only for that student, but for the other students in the class. This report should be in place for a period of no less than three years as a way for teachers to be able to manage their classrooms with safety always in mind.
This list is not exhaustive and all points are welcome to feedback and revision. The Millers want to be able to make the most possible impact that is manageable for the school districts but also protects the children of the Commonwealth from anything CLOSE to what Celeste had to endure.
