A Cheltenham Township couple is outraged after claiming that a local school isn’t doing enough to investigate an alleged incident involving their 12-year-old daughter.
Pam and PJ Augustine say that over a month ago, another student sexually assaulted their daughter on a school bus.
Both their daughter and the accused student attend the Elkins Park Middle School. The daughter also told them that the same student inappropriately touched another girl in a recent incident.
“She said he did the same thing to another little girl in gym class,” said Pam.
The Cheltenham Police say that they’re investigating both incidents and that the accused student is considered a person of interest. While the Augustines don't believe that the student is still at the school, they are unsatisfied with the Cheltenham School District’s investigation.
“In this case the school district of Cheltenham dropped the ball,” said PJ.
“If they would have nipped it in the bud with my daughter another innocent child wouldn’t have been sexually assaulted.”
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The Augustines also claim that their daughter was bullied after the incident, with students threatening her to not talk about what happened.
The Cheltenham School District Superintendent deferred to police with no further comment after being asked about the two incidents.
While the Augustines say that the accused student apologized to their daughter in a text message, they claim that it’s done little to brighten her spirit.
“She’s not outgoing like she used to be,” said PJ.
“That’s what hurts us more than anything, that the innocence of my daughter has to be taken at such a young age.”
