Five employees of the Palm Beach County school district have been charged with failure to report sexual abuse after they were made aware that a 15-year-old student was allegedly assaulted by another teenager.
Doha Madani
Although authorities found evidence to corroborate the girl’s account, her parents declined to file charges against the suspect because they felt a prolonged legal battle would inhibit their daughter’s progress, court documents said. The case was cleared in October 2021. Houchins told the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office that he read the letter and gave it to the school's guidance office, the affidavit read. The 15-year-old girl was then evaluated by a school official who determined she did not need to be"Baker Acted," which is an involuntary mental health hold.
In a separate affidavit filed in Snider's court case, the sheriff's office investigator states that Snider was made aware of the assault on August 16, 2021. The girl was then asked to make an official statement to school officials regarding the assault. In that meeting, an individual whose name was redacted asked whether they were required to report the assault and were told the child"should have told her parents and the parents should have reported it to law enforcement," according to the affidavit.
The Florida Department of Child and Family Services noted that Florida law names specific occupations as a mandatory reporter of child abuse or neglect, which includes school teachers, counselors and personnel. There are multiple ways to contact the department through the department's abuse hotline.
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