Reported Rape Raises Questions About Schools' Policy

Board May Review Code After Incident at Lackey

When Charles County police arrested a Henry E. Lackey High School senior last month and charged him with raping a 16-year-old in an empty classroom after school, several school board members said they were shocked by the system's brief policy on sexual offenses.

The student code of conduct says that any sexual offense is "viewed as potentially serious misconduct dependent upon the age and level of development of the student in question." The section on sexual offenses is 165 words long, compared with a 928-word policy on cellphones.

Discipline in sexual offense cases includes notifying the parents of students involved and, in most cases, legal authorities. In addition, the suspected offender is to be suspended "for up to 10 days," although the superintendent has the power to extend that period or expel the student.

School board member Jennifer S. Abell said she is most concerned by the phrase "up to 10 days," less punishment than is prescribed for a student caught with "a Boy Scout pocketknife," she said. There need to be "stronger penalties for sexual offenses," Abell said.

School board members unanimously voted Monday to possibly expand the policy. They're also expected to review all school safety precautions.

In the incident at Lackey in Indian Head on Feb. 5, police say, Anthony Hansley, 18, of White Plains stayed after school to get a ride to a basketball game at another Charles high school. A female acquaintance of Hansley's was at school for another activity, authorities said. Hansley told the girl that he had forgotten something in the building, and when she went with him to retrieve it, he forced her into a classroom and raped her, authorities said.

That night, the girl told her parents, who alerted authorities. Police arrested Hansley the next morning at school and charged him with second-degree rape and second-degree assault.

School officials say privacy rules prevent them from commenting on how Hansley has been or will be disciplined.

A rape and a stabbing at Maurice J. McDonough High School in Pomfret in January have alarmed many people, even if they were isolated cases, said board member Maura H. Cook.

"There's still a perception and concern among parents and other community residents that our schools are not safe," she said. "I'm not making this up. I'm getting e-mails, other people are getting e-mails."

Roberta S. Wise, the board's vice chairman, who taught in the county school system for 28 years, said she has never felt unsafe and does not understand why anyone would think Charles high schools are dangerous.

Abell said some concerns would be alleviated if parents were fully briefed on every major incident that occurs in the schools and suggested a scrolling list of such incidences on the system's Web site. That idea was quickly shot down by other board members.

"I think a lot of the perception comes from fear of not knowing," Abell said.

Board member Pamela A. Pedersen suggested that the school system look at safety measures such as replacing old security cameras, creating student-led "teen court" systems and training parent volunteers to patrol the hallways and grounds.

Lackey Principal James Short spoke during the meeting but did not mention the rape reported at his school. He said his staff works to create a safe environment in which students alert adults when problems arise.

"If you walk into our building . . . you don't see fear in the eyes of our students," he said.