SV suit response calms; reporting encouraged
JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley School District's homecoming celebrations seemed to calm the storm of reactions following the filing of a lawsuit last week on behalf of a district student.
That silence comes as officials see an increase in reports of similar cases on a local and national level.
The lawsuit was filed by Michael J. Flood and his wife, Alecia Flood, of Zelienople, in U.S. District Court of Pittsburgh on their son's behalf. Michael Flood is a teacher in the district.
The Floods claim their son, a minor at the time and identified as “T.F.” in court documents, was tormented and suffered physical and psychological trauma as a result of two sets of false sexual assault allegations from other students beginning in 2017.
Seneca Valley School District is listed as a defendant in the suit along with former Seneca Valley student Megan Villegas and her parents; four students who are minors and their parents; the Butler County District Attorney's Office; and Butler County.
Community response
On Thursday, a carnival and parade celebrating Seneca Valley School District's Homecoming weekend was filled with the smell of fried foods, high spirits and jubilation for the students and parents in attendance — not the anger and outrage that came after the Flood's lawsuit was filed.
Of about 15 students and parents asked about their thoughts on the lawsuit, many didn't know much about it or said they were too close with a family or other involved party in the suit to feel comfortable commenting.
Freshman Maya Schitu said her initial reaction to hearing about the student's bullying was, “are you kidding me?”
Schitu said she was first very angry at the case's described “mean girls” who allegedly conspired against the Floods' son.
“I feel bad for the kid now,” she said.
Schitu said much of the discussion around the case had already become more subdued throughout the week, despite some students making a statement at last week's home football game with T-shirts indicating their support of T.F.
Schitu said she hadn't heard much conversation about the suit in the last week — “or just little snippets about it.”
Community chatter has also seemed to die down. A Zelienople resident briefly addressed borough council about the matter Monday, but did not ask specific questions and simply referred to a newspaper report. Council did not respond to the comment.
Federal court documents indicate only Villegas has officially been served the suit. A filing from Oct. 4 by U.S. District Judge Mark Hornak outlines the procedures for motions moving forward in the case. No responses have been filed, and nothing indicates all parties have received a copy of the suit, including Seneca Valley.
Schitu also said she hasn't heard of situations like this or even general bullying in the district before this incident, though at least two parents have come forward to say this is a persistent problem within the district.
Some parents have said they plan to attend Seneca Valley's school board meeting at 7 p.m. Monday to further address this issue and others like it.
Increased awareness
While reaction in the community to the Flood's suit has ebbed, the victim advocacy group Victim Outreach Intervention Center (VOICe) has in recent weeks seen an increase in calls from abuse victims sharing their stories.
Linda Strachan, executive director of VOICe in Butler County, said two recent national news stories have been catalysts.Strachan referenced a grand jury report released in August on sexual abuse in Pennsylvania Catholic churches. The report named more than 300 officials and priests accused of sexual crimes, of which 18 men were tied to Butler County as recently as 2007.She also referenced the allegations brought by Christine Blasey Ford against then-Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings in September. Ford gave her testimony on Sept. 27 and described the alleged assault at a party in 1982, but the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh on Oct. 5, which prompted an emotional backlash and the #WhyIDidn'tReport movement, which was also partially driven by #MeToo.Strachan said she “absolutely” believes the increase in requests for services has been in direct correlation with the #MeToo movement and national happenings.“We have had an increase in phone calls on our hot line regarding sexual assault victimizations since both the Catholic Dioceses report and since the Brett Kavanaugh situation,” Strachan said. “I feel that is a good thing, because we want people to reach out to us.”Contrary to fears that the lawsuit might instigate instances of victim-blaming, Strachan said her organization has not seen backlash from any local or national situations.“I know that through our state coalition — coalition against rape — that they have reached out to the centers and that they are also finding out through the state that calls have increased,” she said. “It's anecdotal, not research, but generally speaking there is an increase in phone calls.”Continued reportingStrachan said she hopes that momentum of people seeking services continues.“My hope is that it will continue to grow, mostly because we want to make sure that someone — it doesn't matter male or female — someone who has been the victim of sexual violence has the ability to access services,” Strachan said. “If a person's favorite movie star or public figure shares their story and it gives them the courage to make a phone call to us, then that's what's the most important.“I believe we're at a point where that's what's happening in the country. I think it will probably level off, but we want to get the message out there. We want people to understand that we are here and we can help.”VOICe's missionStrachan said a large part of VOICe's mission is to prevent victim-blaming. She said she doesn't have particular statistics about percentages of people who provide true information and those who lie, but VOICe needs to be careful in the way they address those issues because “so many people have victim-blaming as part of what happens (to them).”“Not everybody always tells the truth in the world, that's part of the world we live in,” she said. “It's all about getting people the help they need. I don't think people are going to stop talking about it, so that's the good news.”
