Eastern Townships high school facing multiple sexual violence complaints

A group of parents and students are calling out Massey-Vanier High School in the Eastern Townships, accusing it of not doing enough to protect students from sexual harassment.

Several students are claiming they are being sexually harassed and assaulted at school but say their complaints are not being taken seriously.

A small demonstration in a parking lot next to the school took place on Monday where parents and students demanded answers and solutions.

“In the past five years girls have been making formal complaints to the school principal, psychologist, student services and nothing has changed,” said Anastasia Spanos, a parent whose children attend classes at the school.

According to Spanos, students have made several formal complaints in the last year and a half alone.

“A year and a half of girls living in fear, missing school, anxiety, depressed, feeling shame and blame and suicidal,” she said.

One student says girls are afraid to walk in the hallways and go to the bathroom alone but they say nothing is being done to make them feel safe.

“We are the ones who are made to feel like we are in the wrong when we haven’t done anything,” said the student, whom Global News agreed not to name due the the sensitivity of the topic and because she is a minor.

She added constant harassment makes it difficult to go to school every day.

“In the morning you think, ‘What’s going to happen to me today?’ Instead of, ‘I hope it’s a great day, I hope I have a good day at school.'”

It’s not clear how many boys are accused of inappropriate behaviour, but parents say the complaints are not dealt with properly.

“A year and a half of the staff doing nothing to support our girls and forcing them to have one-on-one meetings to face (the accused) for him to apologize and not do it again,” said Spanos.

The Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) says it is following protocol when dealing with each complaint.

“We have a well-developed program, anti-bullying anti-sexual aggression, among many other things,” said ETSB commissioner Michael Murray.

“That program requires only a complaint from a student to any adult in the school to become activated.”

The school says it is taking these complaints seriously and it is collaborating with the police, who have opened a file and are conducting an investigation. ETSB says the matter is now in the hands of police.  It will wait for the conclusions of the investigation before taking any further steps.

“What are the true facts as opposed to what may be exaggerations or misstatements?” said Murray.  “From there we can proceed with greater assurance.”

Meanwhile, parents insist they are not being kept in the loop and adequately informed.

Police confirmed they are investigating the issue but would not comment.