Group urges victims of sexual harassment, assault at Pine-Richland to come forward

A recent Pine-Richland graduate was joined by her parents and supporters at Monday’s school board meeting as she leveled accusations that district officials failed to take proper action when she says was raped in 2019 while at school.

Ana Baxter, 18, along with several members of a parents group called PROSPR Now, said district officials have demonstrated a pattern of failing to take allegations of harassment and other misconduct seriously.

“I’m here to make sure what happened to me at Pine-Richland never happens to anyone else,” she said.

Baxter said that, prior to being sexually assaulted, she complained about racial and sexual harassment directed at her by classmates.

“The high school principal told me they couldn’t do anything about the racial harassment because it was protected free speech,” Baxter said, adding that when she reported the sexual harassment “they never asked me about the witnesses I could provide.”

When Baxter tearfully told the board “during my sophomore year I was raped during school,” the board’s solicitor Emily Mueller tried to cut her off.

“I know this is a sensitive issue, but this is not the forum to make criminal complaints or allegations,” Mueller said.

Baxter’s father, however, insisted that his daughter speak.

“All that happened is that I got in trouble,” she said. “The school wanted to throw me and my brother out. But nothing happened to my attacker.”

Tom Baxter said he organized the PROSPR Now group, which stands for PRotect Our Students in Pine and Richland Now, to raise awareness of how the district has handled allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, bullying and other improper behavior by students.

He said sexual assaults and sexual harassment in public schools is “a national epidemic.”

“What we’re hoping to do tonight is to show others in our area that you don’t have to remain silent about this problem,” he said. “This is happening everywhere and it’s mostly going unaddressed.”

Mueller said that while it is the district’s policy not to comment on statements made by speakers during public meetings, officials “strongly disagree with some of the statements.”

She said she could not “go into detail” because of confidentiality and legal requirements, but said “the district and law enforcement have worked together, and separately, to investigate these allegations and all circumstances surrounding them, timely and in accordance with the law.

“At all times we have been fully committed to and engaged in providing a safe and healthy school environment for all students,” she said.

Some of the most stinging criticism of the district’s handling of complaints came from former school director Laura Ohlund, who served on the board from 2011-16.

Ohlund was out of town, but a resident played a recorded message in which she chastised the district’s handling of a case involving a former high school basketball coach, Cliff Foster, who pleaded guilty to having sex with underage girls.

While Ohlund praised the district’s academic programs and commitment to education, she said it has fallen short when it comes to protecting students. 

“They (district officials) were aware of the issue much further in advance of when appropriate action was taken,” she said.

PROSPR Now took out a full-page advertisement in this week’s edition of the Pine Creek Journal, urging victims to come forward to report their experiences. The Pine Creek Journal is owned by Trib Total Media, the parent company of the Tribune-Review.

Baxter said the organization plans to present its findings to federal and state education authorities as well as law enforcement.

He said some victims are reluctant to speak out, but “we have received multiple reports from parents and students that suggest a pattern of behavior by the district that trivializes student safety, intimidates victims from coming forward and retaliates against them if they do.”