A Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School student was arrested after multiple students alleged the student sexually assaulted them.
In an email sent home to Catholic Central parents Saturday, the principal said the student was taken into custody by the Grand Rapids Police Department in the junior parking lot after dismissal. Both Catholic Central and the Grand Rapids Diocese said the school contacted police immediately after the students reported the alleged assaults.
The Kent County Prosecutor said a Catholic Central student was booked into jail Friday, but would not give details on charges. Jail records of a 17-year-old male matched details provided by the mother of one of the accusers. His identification is being withheld until his arraignment.
The mother, who asked to remain anonymous, said the alleged offender forced her 15-year-old daughter into the school bathroom Wednesday and groped her until another student broke up the attack.
She said her daughter, and another student, told Catholic Central officials on Friday morning. The mother said Catholic Central told her they contacted the police and gave her a number to call.
"When I called and asked the sergeant, 'Where are you?'" she said. "The sergeant clearly stated, 'I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not even in today.' [This was] after the Dean told me they had contacted the police. They had not contacted the police. The first call to the police was me."
The mother said in a Saturday evening phone call with the Catholic Central High School counselor, the school apologized for the way it handled the incident. Grand Rapids Police told WZZM 13 that the school did call police immediately, however the detective unit was still in the initial stages of investigating and did not arrive at the school until the mother called 911.
"My daughter is affected emotionally, physically," she said. "The fact that I can't ease her pain hurts. [The school] failed. They completely failed. These are things that should not be swept under the rug."
School officials say the student is suspended until "these matters have been sorted out." Catholic Central said it will cooperate fully with GRPD throughout the investigation.
Read Catholic Central's full statement here:
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