Meeting Public Comments

Jodi Safris

I am in support of this bill. In 2018 our daughter was repeatedly digitally penetrated by a peer in an 8th grade English Language Arts classroom. The assaults occurred frequently over the course of a month and in the presence of three teachers who all claim to have not seen the assaults. In a recent civil trial against the school district, we provided much evidence to support that the assaults occurred including several student testimonies that they witnessed the peer rubbing our daughter's thigh in class and one student witness who saw him place his hands in her pants and digitally penetrating her. All of the teachers took the stand stating the assaults were impossible because our daughter was not seated next to her perpetrator. Additionally, we testified that we had reported incidences of bullying and harassment to the principal, who took the stand and indicated that report was never made. Our testimonies were in stark contrast to the teachers and principal. The jury was released to deliberate and evaluate all the testimony and evidence. In November 2024, the jury delivered a negligence verdict, indicating that the school failed to protect our daughter of repeated sexual assault in the classroom. However, they further found that the school was not the proximate cause of any damages to our daughter, therefore awarded $0. After the verdict, the superintendent of schools released the following statement to channel 13 news, "we are pleased with the outcome of the trial and that the Urbandale School District was not the proximate cause of any damages to the victim." She did not address the horrific incidences that occurred in her classroom and that she would ensure changes are made so all students are safe in her classrooms. The school district has made no changes and conducted no investigations into this matter. All of the teachers and administrators continue to work with no consequences. Even with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners conducting investigations into their licenses, they are all working to this day. These educators should be placed on administrative leave until the investigations are satisfied given the egregious nature of their conduct and the significant harm to our daughter. Our daughter suffers from severe PTSD, spent nearly 2 years in mental health facilities, one of which was out of state and specifically for kids with developmental trauma. She only completed high school because she was in a facility with a ratio of 5 to 1 and only teen girls in the classroom. She also had a therapy dog by her side, who continues to support her to this day. She has tried to enroll in college, but had to be medically withdrawn because she cannot step into the classroom out of fear that she will be assaulted again.

Gigi Wilwerding

Please support this bill to keep children safe while at school they spend so much time there and those teachers and staff are being paid to keep kids safe.