Hundreds of students at an Oklahoma high school walked out of classes on Monday to protest what they said was a failure by school administrators to take care of three girls who have accused a male classmate of sexually assaulting them. A spokeswoman for Norman Public Schools said as soon the school system became aware of the rape accusations, it acted swiftly. Norman police said they are investigating the case, and Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn said his office is waiting until police complete their investigation. Students at Norman High School walk out of classes in Norman, Oklahoma November 24, 2014 to protest what they said was a failure by school administrators to take care of three girls who have accused a male classmate of sexually assaulting them. The 16-year-old girl has not returned to school since she said she was bullied on the day she tried to return, Jenkins said, because the alleged bullier was allowed to return to school.
– High school students in Oklahoma walked out of classes yesterday in solidarity with three classmates who say they were raped by a fellow student and then bullied by the alleged attacker's friends. Hundreds of teens at Norman High School participated in the protests, which accused school officials of failing the three girls, Reuters reports. Protesters chanted slogans like "No justice, no class" and "No more bullying," the Oklahoman reports. All three of the alleged victims have stopped attending school, classmates say. "They don't want to come back because they don't feel safe to come back," says one protest organizer. She says the school suggested the girls switch high schools. A 16-year-old girl first reported the alleged attacker; afterward, two other girls said the same student had raped them. Police are investigating, they say, though the Oklahoman notes that officers weren't immediately told about the allegations. Still, a police captain says that school officials have been clear and open about the case. "The idea that we would punish a victim for being a victim is reprehensible," says one administrator. The alleged perpetrator, 18, has been suspended from school for the year, while a student said to have led the bullying has also been barred from school. Students are calling on the school's principal to implement new training programs and to install an advocate for victims.