Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that the woman in the video does not specify which of her two sons is disabled. The Long Beach Unified School District says the son who was allegedly assaulted is not the one with disabilities.
A video of a woman saying her 7-year-old son was sexually assaulted at a Long Beach elementary school has been spreading across social media this week, and authorities say they’re investigating the accusations.
The video shows a woman standing outside Cesar Chavez Elementary School saying she is the mother of two students at the school. She says one has cerebral palsy, autism and epilepsy, and he has been bullied at the school. She also says her 7-year-old son was recently sexually assaulted on campus.
Speaking in Spanish, the woman says she’s speaking out publicly, “So that no other child has to go through this.”
She said she took paperwork from a doctor and “a detective,” to the campus on Friday to make sure school officials took her seriously and investigated. The Long Beach Post was not able to reach the woman, who is not identified in the video.
At one point, another parent in the video speaks up and says her son has said another child has been threatening students and watching them in the bathroom.
In a message sent out to parents and staff this week, Cesar Chavez Elementary Principal Brenda Ocampo said school officials were “made aware of an alleged incident that may have occurred on campus on Thursday of last week between students, in violation of Long Beach Unified’s code of conduct.”
She did not provide any more details about what was alleged to have happened, saying the district is bound by “privacy and confidentiality laws.”
Ocampo added that the allegations would be thoroughly investigated by “the appropriate authorities” and that all safety concerns were being taken seriously.
In addition, school staff will conduct routine bathroom checks throughout the day, reassess its bathroom rules, and review the school’s incident reporting protocols with students, Ocampo said.
A meeting will also be scheduled after the winter break to allow parents and staff to address any concerns they have, Ocampo said.
“As a school, we want to ensure that every student and parent feel seen, heard and is confident that we will fully address concerns brought to our attention,” Ocampo said in the message to parents. “We value all our students and are committed to working towards maintaining a safe learning environment that is free from harassment, discrimination, or bullying.”
The Long Beach Police Department didn’t immediately respond to questions about the incident.