3 students suspended after sexual assault allegations at Brooklyn high school
EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- The NYPD confirmed it is investigating several incidents of alleged sexual assault at a Brooklyn high school.
The mother of one of the victims told Eyewitness News her son was groped by upperclassmen in the locker room bathroom at It Takes A Village Academy in the Tilden Educational Complex in East Flatbush, and another may have been sodomized.
The New York City Police Department confirmed one of the alleged incidents, which they said occurred November 2 in a bathroom.
NYPD sources said two 16-year-old students and one 15-year-old student had been suspended while the investigation continues.
The New York City Department of Education confirmed in a statement it is investigating the allegations along with the NYPD.
"Safety always comes first and these deeply troubling allegations are being investigated. We are working in close partnership with the NYPD to ensure appropriate action is taken and are providing the school with ongoing support," wrote spokeswoman Miranda Barbot.
Students were sent home with a letter talking about the allegations and the ongoing investigation Wednesday evening.
A ninth grader at the school said while he feels good about police investigating the matter, he doesn't feel safe in the locker room.
"I feel like sometimes I could be hurt," the student said.
Eyewitness News has learned the allegations go back several weeks into October.
Some parents told Eyewitness News that the principal at the school, Marina Vinitskaya, knew about the allegations but did not act on them quickly enough. Vinitskaya has been transferred for failing to properly report and respond to the allegations.
School officials refused to discuss the case.
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