Damascus High School student took photo of student with special needs using bathroom, officials say
DAMASCUS, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - A student at Damascus High School took a picture of a student with special needs using the restroom and another student posted the photo to Snapchat, according to officials.
Montgomery County Public Schools said the incident happened on Nov 1. The Montgomery County Police Department was contacted and detectives launched an investigation into the incident, according to school officials.
"This type of behavior is unacceptable and I expect more of our students. I ask that you speak with your child(ren) and remind them that they are our partners in creating a safe and welcoming environment and that it is critical that we treat each other with respect. I also ask that you speak with them about responsible social media use," Damascus High School Principal Casey Crouse said in part of a letter sent home to parents about the incident.
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The letter sent to parents said the student who took and posted the photo to social media was identified and "assigned consequences aligned with the Code of Conduct." School officials would not elaborate on the disciplinary action taken.
Montgomery County police told FOX 5 both students were charged as juveniles with visual surveillance in a private area.
A similar incident involving different students occurred in May 2016, according to officials. In that case, a student took a photo of a student with special needs using the restroom and posted the picture to Snapchat, police said. That student was charged as a juvenile with visual surveillance in a private area, authorities stated.
The news comes on the heels of serious allegations against five Damascus High School junior varsity football players after they were accused of sexually assaulting teammates with a broomstick in a locker room on Halloween.
One alleged victim told police the lights were turned off, he was held down, and sexually assaulted with a wooden broomstick.
In that case, Jean Claude Abedi, Kristian Jamal Lee, Will Daniel Smith, Caleb Thorpe were charged as adults and indicted on eight counts each: one count of first-degree rape, three counts of attempted first-degree rape and four counts of conspiracy to commit rape. A fifth suspect, charged as a juvenile, pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday, sources with knowledge of the case told FOX 5.