Whitman Student Newspaper Reports on Sexual Abuse at Annual Event, Principal Cancels Event in Response to Story

  Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 4:04 PM, Robert Dodd <donotreply@mcpsmd.org> wrote:

Dear Walt Whitman High School Community Members,

The purpose of this message is to inform you that Vike-a-thon, a school dance that is typically held as part of our SGA’s Charity Month effort, will be canceled this school year. We were recently made aware of disturbing allegations involving the well-being of our students while attending past Vike-a-thon events by reporting from our student publication, the Black & White.  After meeting with our SGA leaders, we came to the conclusion that holding this event in light of these serious concerns would be inappropriate.

The allegations involve bullying, harassment, and inappropriate and potentially unlawful behavior of a sexual nature. We are taking these allegations very seriously. I will be working with my administrative team and MCPS central office officials to properly follow our guidelines on reporting serious incidents of this nature. We will also be consulting with our partners in the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) where necessary to ensure an adequate investigation is conducted. In addition, any students who may have been directly or indirectly impacted by these incidents will have access to all available resources from our school staff and our partners in the Office of Family Engagement and Supports.

As always, student safety is our first priority at Walt Whitman and we appreciate that the Black & White brought these safety concerns to our attention. We are committed to working closely with the SGA, in addition to other student groups, to thoroughly assess the culture of our school and future activities to ensure we are providing our students with the best educational experience possible. 

We urge students to share any information about unsafe behavior or serious incidents with school administrators immediately so we can preserve the well-being of our students and school community. Linked here are important resources and multiple ways (Spanish Version) for students to report bullying, harassment, and inappropriate behavior to our school administration.

Thank you for your continued support.  

Sincerely,

Robert W. Dodd, EdD

Principal