Rocklin students and parents protest against sex crimes and discrimination

Nearly 100 parents, students and community members participated in a walkout May 10 to protest against Rocklin Unified School District (RUSD) staff after students accused them of covering up sex crimes, racism and discrimination within the district. "I've been in the Rocklin district my whole life. Sexist-related bullying has been going on here a long time," said Rocklin High School sophomore Stella Mahaffey, who participated in the walkout. "The district has not given girls room to speak so this walkout was the best way for us to be heard," Mahaffey said. The public accusations started at the May 3 school board meeting when a sophomore student, Ava Messina, said that a fellow Rocklin High School student and football player recorded her in a sexual act without her knowledge and distributed it throughout Rocklin and other Placer County campuses. Messina said she was bullied thereafter, and Rocklin High School staff knew about it, and did not take adequate action because of the other students' athletic status. "In November of 2022, I took part in a sexual act with a fellow sophomore. During this act, I was filmed without my knowledge," Messina said. "He further victimized me by distributing the video to teens throughout the county. I am not the only girl that he has filmed. But I am the only girl who will speak up. I will not be silenced." Rocklin High school senior, Laney Maeyama, who skipped her first period class Wednesday to be a part of the protest said that Messina's story is similar to her own. "I wanted to come out and be a part of the walkout because I'm very familiar with sexually predatory behavior on campus. It's happened to myself and almost every other girl at this school," Maeyama said. "I feel it's become extremely normalized among our community. Members of male-dominated athletics programs who are the most funded act like this. It's not just football players; it's baseball and other popular programs who are supposed to represent our school." Maeyama said the Rocklin Unified High School district isn't powerless in this matter. "If they can implement rules that dictate how girls dress but can't see the issue with the way boys have been harassing girls sexually, then that speaks volumes," Maeyama said. "The hypocrisy is too much." Maeyama said she hopes that the district realizes the current issue is not a one-time incident but a culture problem in Rocklin. Messina's accusations on May 3 were followed by additional accusations from former Rocklin High School student Isabeau Seipler, who said she left the district earlier this year because of racism and discrimination against her. Seipler said she too fell victim to bullying from the Rocklin High football team. "I cried when I found out how many people showed up to the walkout to support us," Seipler said. "As heartbreaking as it is, it's given other girls bravery to speak up. There have been a lot of things in the district that have gotten swept under the rug but this one is really sticking. The football players who have gotten away with so much and the Rocklin staff who covered for them should be held accountable for their actions." Seipler said that she and Messina have become friends through this process. Although Seipler said she hasn't received any communication from the district since her accusations went public, she's confident that there will be a change in the district."The next step is to attend the May 17 board meeting. A bunch of people will be showing up for Ava wearing black," Seipler said. They can't just sweep things under the rug anymore." Gold Country Media reached out to the Rocklin Unified School District for comment. "Rocklin Unified School District and its schools support each student's and each member of the community's right to gather and express their voice without fear of reprisal," said Rocklin Unified School District chief of communications Sundeep S. Dosanjh. Although some parents and students have expressed doubts in the district's investigation, Dosanjh said accusations are taken seriously. "On Jan. 25, 2023, the Rocklin High School administration team was made aware of one incident that occurred off-campus that took place during Thanksgiving break. The school immediately began their investigation, Dosanjh said. "The Rocklin Police Department's school resource officer was notified on the same day and began their separate investigation. Bullying of any kind will not be tolerated and should be reported so schools may work on reestablishing a safe and welcoming environment for all." He added, "Rocklin Unified understands that students, families and staff would like more information. However, matters involving student discipline, investigations and consequences are confidential, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The school district continues to review board policies and student codes of conduct to identify areas for improvement. This includes further educational efforts focused on cyber-safety and sexting. We will continue to improve our efforts involving mental health supports, digital citizenship and cyber-bullying education for all grade levels." Dosanjh provided Gold Country media with a weblink (https://mobile.catapultems.com/rocklin-usd/School) where he said students, families and staff are encouraged to share their concerns or report something anonymously.