State Rejects Sexual Harassment Appeals

After reviewing two complaints of alleged sexual harassment of Simi Valley elementary school students, state officials have turned down the appeals of parents upset about the local school district’s handling of those cases.

Department of Education officials found that the district responded “adequately” to complaints that two students were sexually harassed by fellow students in 1995.

However, the district did not follow all the procedures the state requires in such instances, the department’s Office of Equal Opportunity said in a letter to the district earlier this month. For example, Simi school officials did not tell the parents about their rights to appeal the district’s decisions to the state.

Parent Hillarie Levy viewed the state’s decision as vindication, even if her appeal was rejected. For more than a year, Levy has complained about the district’s handling of problems her daughter faced at Atherwood Elementary School, where a male student repeatedly picked on the girl. In a December 1995 incident, the boy reportedly held up a pickle and shouted “This is your new boyfriend.”

Levy’s daughter transferred to another school because of the taunts. The boy received counseling but was not suspended.

The state’s finding that district officials did not follow every state-required procedure when dealing with Levy’s concerns pleased her.

“It validated my claim that they mishandled my complaint,” Levy said.

Assistant Supt. Becky Wetzel also said she was satisfied with the state’s decision. She said the state procedures had only recently been applied to sexual harassment cases, and the district will adhere to them in the future.

“It’s just a question of making sure our procedures comply with the state’s,” she said.

The second case covered in the state’s decision concerned a boy at Atherwood whose pants were pulled down several times by a classmate. The classmate then touched the boy’s genitals.