Wauwatosa students hold sexual assault, harassment walkout

WAUWATOSA, Wis. - A student walkout at Wauwatosa East High School on Friday, Dec. 10 was held to draw attention to sexual assault and harassment among students.

The students are asking the school district to do more, making their voices heard on the sidewalk outside as cars drove by – many honking and cheering the students on.

"Rape and sexual assault is a big problem," protest organizer Jonathan Elsner, a sophomore, said. "It needs to be dealt with, and it’s not to be taken lightly."

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

What started as an English project culminated in a walkout for an issue they say often goes unheard.

"Personally I am a victim, and I did actually report my incident and was made to feel very invalidated," Chloe Lewis, a junior, said. 

Students, like Lewis, get the sense the school is not really listening, and they are asking for more support for victims.

"I think it’s because it’s such a heavy topic," said Lewis. "I think just providing more of a safe space and an educated space."

Students also want more accountability for perpetrators.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.

"It’s very disappointing hearing a girl talk about how she was raped and now she has to see her rapist in the hallway every day," Elsner said.

In an email to parents and students, school administrators said they support the right of students to engage in activism, but the walkout was not approved – noting consequences for those who participated, including ineligibility for student-athletes to play in Friday night's basketball games. 

The school district said in a statement that it takes action when a victim reports an incident to a staff member and when the incident took place on district property or involved district resources, saying: "If the district is not taking action, it is likely both of those conditions have not been met."

Students hope Friday's demonstration starts a conversation.

"I personally want to show that our voices can actually do something and get it out there that this is happening," said Lewis.

The school district said it cannot investigate allegations made by anyone other than the victim, and that any incidents off-property should be reported to police.

Wauwatosa police told FOX6 News that a sexual assault between juveniles at the high school in October did result in an arrest. Another at Wauwatosa West High School was handled by police, the school and parents without an arrest.