Questions remain after NC high school allows student facing sexual assault charges to play football

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Questions remain after NC high school allows student facing sexual assault charges to play football, suspend others from volleyball team for ‘walkout’

NORTH CAROLINA NEWS
by: Derek Dellinger

Posted: Oct 7, 2021 / 06:13 AM EDT / Updated: Oct 7, 2021 / 06:30 AM EDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – Questions still surround a decision from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to allow a student to play football, despite facing charges related to a reported sexual assault case and wearing an ankle monitor.

On Friday, the district said it, “did not make the right call,” without explicitly referring to the incident or the student in question.

However, the decision came after protests and a walkout took place earlier that day by students, who highlighted sexual assault cases, including one incident that happened in September at the school.

Students who took part in the protest now say they are being punished for the protests, and the community reaction is intensifying.

“It’s almost like they’re trying to silence this group of youth that would be instrumental in changing things going forward,” said Melissa McAtee, a mentor to Olympic High students. McAtee said one of the students she mentors is a volleyball player who was suspended from a game for taking part in the walkout.

“Students that were inside were not allowed out,” said McAtee. “The students that were outside were not allowed back in. There were some students that passed food to those outside, and they received an in-school suspension.”

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