Sexual assault investigation underway involving cadets in JROTC program in Fayette County
A Fayette County mother is furious after she said her daughter's high school did not notify parents of an alleged sexual assault committed during a school program over the weekend.
The alleged incident happened during a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps event at Camp Dawson in West Virginia, where cadets from Albert Gallatin High School attended. Albert Gallatin is one of 23 districts in the state and the only one in Fayette County to offer the JROTC program to its high school students.
Parent Brittney Metts said this was the first year her daughter was involved in the program and the first time she attended the weekend event, where she stayed for two nights with other cadets.
The Preston County Sheriff's Office confirmed to KDKA-TV that it was called to the camp for a reported sexual assault on Saturday. Metts said it was "an egregious act committed by one student against another student."
"My God-given right is to protect my kid, and you stripped me of that, and I am ticked off," Metts said.
The parent said she wasn't informed about the incident until her daughter came home from camp and told her.
"I was informed that cadets were told not to talk about what happened," Metts said.
She said her daughter told her the sexual assault happened in one of the rooms where the cadets were sleeping sometime Friday night into Saturday.
"I was furious that I and no other parents were notified what happened, and that we couldn't remove our children from where this happened and protect our children," Metts said.
She claims that when she went to the school on Monday for answers — including when the district knew, why parents weren't notified and what was being done for the students that were there — they would not answer.
"There was cadets that were scared," Metts said. "There was a cadet that slept on the floor in front of one of the barrack doors. They stripped me of my rights as a parent. They stripped my child of rights as a student for safety, for keeping them in an area where this happened."
Metts told KDKA-TV on Thursday that the school still hasn't reached out to parents to tell them what happened and claims the student involved was allowed back to school on Wednesday with the victim.
"It's very emotional because I feel for this child. Does the school board feel for him? Does the school even feel for him?" Metts said. "How can you not protect these kids? You didn't protect these kids. Everybody failed these children."
The Preston County Sheriff's Office said the incident remains an active investigation. KDKA-TV reached out to the school district, its school board and solicitor multiple times for comment, along with Camp Dawson, but did not hear back on Thursday.
Metts said the district sent a letter home with students on Wednesday and shared a copy with KDKA. The letter states, "Albert Gallatin Area School District would like to inform you that the safety of our students is paramount. District administrators, school police, principals and teachers of our district have reviewed the crisis and emergency management plans at both the district and building levels. We have also consulted with the Pennsylvania State Police for their input, suggestions and knowledge that they could provide in support of keeping our students safe."
The letter went on to announce that the notice was to inform students and parents of a safety/lockdown drill at the elementary school next week.
