A Queens woman is suing the city after her 12-year-old daughter was allegedly forced into a locker room and sexually assaulted by seven male classmates. The suit claims the victim had been knocked to the ground in Pathways College Preparatory School in Hollis, Queens, and then dragged into a locker room by 12- and 13-year-old boys, where they allegedly rubbed their crotches in her face. The girl's lawyer told the Daily News, "It was like bedlam in that gym that day."
Though the boys were charged with forcible touching and sexual abuse in Family Court last May, a suit was filed with the Queens Supreme Court yesterday, accusing the school of negligence and failure to provide enough security and supervision. Because of the incident, the girl ended up transferring high schools and is currently "not doing well" in psychological counseling. Her lawyer claims that the school was relying on metal detectors to provide all the security. "The absence of weaponry does not alone provide for a safe academic environment," she said. "It only begins there."
