Peaceful protest held outside Foxcroft Academy following judges ruling in sexual assault case

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine (WABI) - Members of the community held a “peaceful protest” outside of Foxcroft Academy Wednesday morning after a district court ruled allowing students of an alleged sexual assault to attend in person learning.

Two Foxcroft Academy teens are being charged with three counts of gross sexual assault and one of the teens is charged with tampering with the victim for an incident that happened off campus in February.

We spoke with members of the community who voiced their concerns and also looking for clarity, not with just the decision from the school, but also with the Judicial Court.

“To express my displeasure, I don’t know just that this could go on at Foxcroft Academy that these alleged perpetrators would be allowed to go to school here, where the victim is, and that there seems to be such disregard for for this victim, and I’m deeply saddened by it,” said Sandra Harmon, parent.

“I can’t believe that no one saw that and didn’t think that needed to change,” said Elizabath Walsh, parent.

According to court documents, the students who allegedly sexually assaulted the victim were allowed in-person learning with incidental contact with the victim.

As of Friday, school officials moved the accused students to remote learning and prohibited them from any extracurricular events.

“When we learned of the event, we followed our protocols, but we had to follow the law. And the law was followed by script. And we also provided support for the victim. And so we have to follow the law. And then after the court, we got more information and we thought it prudent to for the students to not be on campus,” said Head of School Arnold Shorey.

Shorey wants parents to know that off-campus and on-campus disciplinary actions are handled in accordance to the law.

“So, events that happen on campus would definitely be communicated with parents almost instantaneously. Things that happen off campus where we have zero jurisdiction, we, we have to follow the law and so there’s a major difference between on campus and off campus as regards communication,” said Shorey.

The two teens are due back in court this summer.

Foxcroft Academy released a statement Wednesday night saying after an investigation with police, they will be back to in-person learning on Thursday.

They say the threats made on Tuesday have no validity.

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