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“As the only girl on the varsity golf team, I was bullied and humiliated, rather than treated as a teammate,” freshman Charlotte Rollins told the Masconomet School Committee.
Masconomet Regional High School. Google Maps
Members of the Masconomet Regional District School Committee were caught off guard earlier this week when a freshman at the high school in Boxford told them that she was leaving the district, alleging that administrators had failed to properly respond to incidents of harassment. This harassment included a threat of sexual violence directed at the student by a peer, she said.
The comments were made by student Charlotte Rollins at the beginning of the School Committee meeting on Wednesday.
“I’m sharing this because future students deserve better than what I experienced this year. As the only girl on the varsity golf team, I was bullied and humiliated, rather than treated as a teammate,” Rollins said.
Rollins said she overheard teammates brag about “stealing and sharing exams,” and that her father reported photos posted to social media showing student athletes drinking alcohol. Administrators failed to properly respond to concerns about these topics, she said.
Rollins was later subjected to “obscene and demeaning sexual comments,” including a reference to sexual violence and assault, she said. Her father reported this to school leaders, and was told that the boys who made the comments would be spoken to, she continued.
“To be clear: a male varsity athlete, in front of multiple teammates, threatened an extreme act of sexual violence toward me. And the administration’s response was to talk to the perpetrator. That is simply not good enough,” she said.
Rules at Masconomet High School are not being enforced consistently or fairly, Rollins said. She felt “unprotected, unheard, and unsupported” by those responsible for student safety and accountability.
Rollins made clear that multiple teachers and counselors at the school did give her their full support. One teacher has been walking with her to class every day since October, knowing that Rollins’s route to class often takes her past some of the students who bullied her, she said.
“Even the best teachers cannot fix an environment where accountability is optional, concerns are dismissed, and serious issues are met with inaction on the part of the administration,” she said.
Rollins urged the School Committee to fully examine the systems that she said failed her.
Two Masconomet teachers, Erin O’Brien and Carol Lund, then read a prepared statement on behalf of a group of “concerned educators.” They said they were aware of an incident of discrimination on the basis of gender by a golf coach and members of the team. Administrators were notified in time to effect change, but failed to do so, they said.
The student, they said, was subjected to retaliatory acts by members of the team and their friends. School leaders failed to discipline or replace the coach, or discipline the students who participated, they said.
The situation “escalated” when threats of sexual assault were made against the victim by members of the boys hockey team. Again, the behavior was reported to administrators who then failed to follow proper protocols like punishing the students or reporting the threats to police, the educators said.
“We, as Masconomet educators, are deeply disturbed by these incidents and the lack of response by the athletic director, the high school principal, the assistant superintendent of student services, and we are also concerned that the inaction will promote an unsafe environment for students and faculty alike,” the educators said in their statement.
The teachers are concerned that other students may be experiencing similar acts of discrimination and bullying. They requested that the School Committee immediately intervene to to make sure that administrators punish those involve and report any threats of sexual violence to police.
“The failure to hold such behavior accountable is unacceptable to us,” the educators said.
School Committee Chair Matthew Alexander thanked Rollins and the teachers for speaking, calling their decision “brave.” He said that the topic is “very serious” and that he wanted to gather recommendations from his School Committee colleagues by the end of the week. Alexander also said he would reach out to counsel to understand the situation from a legal perspective.
Alexander and other members of the School Committee appeared surprised by the allegations.
“This is a very heavy topic for us, too. We don’t know what position we’re in. We didn’t know this topic was coming tonight. Had I known, I would have been prepared, I would have reached out to counsel, I would have understood what my options were, what our options were,” Alexander said. “I’m sorry I don’t have a precise path forward for you tonight.”
Alexander did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Superintendent Michael Harvey issued a lengthy statement in response to the allegations. It did not include any specifics, but said generally that the district would dispute allegations that it failed to properly respond to reports of mistreatment.
Harvey’s statement can be read in full below:
As Superintendent of the Masconomet Regional School District, I am responding to your request for information regarding an allegation that has been made against the District relative to the District’s response to a student’s report of sexual harassment and discrimination in a district athletic program. Although the District would dispute any such allegations that it has failed to respond promptly and effectively to reports of mistreatment by students or staff, the District is precluded under state and federal regulations pertaining to student privacy and student records from responding publicly to the specific allegation about which you have inquired.
While we are unable to provide the specific information you have requested, please note that the District promptly responds to, investigates, and provides written notice of outcome to the parties involved of any allegations of bullying, discrimination, or discriminatory harassment reported to the District. Where the preponderance of the evidence obtained through any such investigation supports a determination that bullying, discrimination or discriminatory harassment has occurred, the District takes prompt action to address any such violations and to restore and maintain a safe and supportive school environment for the target(s) of such misconduct. Parties are also provided with the opportunity to file a formal appeal of any determinations with which they disagree.
Ross Cristantiello
Ross Cristantiello, a general assignment news reporter for Boston.com since 2022, covers local politics, crime, the environment, and more.
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