FLORESVILLE, Texas — Some Floresville High School students walked out of class Friday morning demanding justice.
They say there is video evidence of at least one recent sexual assault on campus and they say not enough is being done to ensure the safety of students.
Chanting like an angry army, they circulated around the school’s front entrance.
Cries of “No more violence! No more rape!” and “Law enforcement, do something!” were repeated as students raised their voices, alleging at least two female students reported recent sexual assaults on campus.
Parents claim they have seen a video circulating on social media of several boys assaulting a girl in a concession stand on campus. They also allege that school officials have refused to view the video, and as late as Thursday issued a statement saying there was no credible evidence of at least one of the attacks.
The students who walked out were met by a smaller contingent of parents and supporters who repeated their demands to be heard.
Many of the protesters painted themselves red in solidarity with a campaign denouncing violence against women.
In a statement to KENS 5, the district said “The administration has investigated all allegations of assault and has taken the appropriate action to address them through the student code of conduct and with law enforcement.”
They added that, by law, they can't comment on specific details related to this investigation.
District officials verbally promised that students wouldn't be punished for their peaceful protest, saying in full:
"Today, there was a protest at Floresville High School regarding the recent allegations of assault. The protest was peaceful and students were allowed to express their concerns. Campus administration met with FHS students to listen to their concerns and plan to continue this dialogue as we want to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students. FISD and campus administrators were present to ensure a peaceful and safe protest.
"The administration has investigated all allegations of assault and has taken the appropriate action to address them through the student code of conduct and with law enforcement. Once again, the district is unable to provide detailed information due to privacy laws and ongoing criminal investigations but be assured that we are taking this very seriously and anyone found in violation of the law will be prosecuted.
"The Floresville High School administration has spoken to numerous students and parents during the last week. We want our students to be heard and encourage students and parents to communicate openly with teachers, counselors, administrators as well as law enforcement and urge timely reporting of any concerns.
"We want to assure parents that the safety of our students is our top priority. The district will continue to promote a culture of respect and encourage students to report behavior contrary to that culture."
The Floresville ISD school board meets Oct. 4 and many of the people who protested Friday say they will, once again, demand justice.