A junior at Johnston High School expressed disappointment on Monday at the district board meeting. According to the student, who has spent six years attending Johnston, alleged another student masturbated in class last Monday and, to her knowledge, nothing has happened.
“For six years I’ve attended Johnston and I’ve seen each and every one of my classes as a moderately safe learning environment,” she said. “That was until last Monday, Nov. 15, when I was sitting in my second period AP U.S. History class when I turned to look at my teacher and I watched a student at the adjacent desk, one foot away from me, reach his hands down his pants during instructional time.”
The student said she ignored it, but turned to look back at her teacher maybe five minutes later.
“I watched the same student take his hand out of his pants, start licking his fingers and wiping his hands on his desk,” she said. “One foot away from me.”
The student immediately texted her mother. She visited the school and the two met with Ryan Woods, the principal of the school.
“He was casual and standoffish,” she said. “He didn’t apologize to me for this happening in his building until my mom had to shame him into it. No one asked how I was. The student has been in class every single day since. There’s been no concern from administration and no apparent punishment.
“I understand there isn’t anything you can do to resolve what happened to me last Monday. I understand you can’t exactly prevent it from happening to anyone else. I’m asking you to be actively aware of this so-promised safe learning environment in the school you now preside over. Understand students don’t want to discuss what goes on behind the scenes because it’s dark and disturbing. This is not how we should be forced to learn.”
