Hundreds of Denton ISD students walked out in protest after allegation of sexual assault on campus

Hundreds of Guyer High School students walked out of class Friday morning in protest after an allegation of sexual assault on the Denton County campus last week.

Denton police confirmed that a juvenile student made a sexual assault report and they are investigating the claim against a fellow student. Police said they would inform the public if charges were filed but did not provide further details about the allegation.

Hundreds of students exited Guyer High School around 10 a.m. and made their way to the corner of the property. Raising signs that said “Stop silencing victims” and “No means no,” students gathered together calling for action from both the school and Denton police.

“Enough is enough,” the crowd chanted as onlookers drove by honking their horns.

The Dallas Morning News is not identifying the student, who has not been charged with a crime. The News does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sex crimes.

Denton ISD spokeswoman Julie Zwahr said the district is cooperating with law enforcement, and that details of the case were limited since the investigation is ongoing.

At the protest, multiple students took turns speaking through a green megaphone, many demanding school administrators speak out about the allegations or at least acknowledge them.

Parents at the protest said they receive daily COVID-19 reports from the school, but had to find out about the allegations from their children and social media.

After about 30 minutes, the large group of students clad in blue clothes and ribbons, walked around the building a few times. Then several students told their own stories of surviving assault.

“They don’t care about us,” one student from the crowd shouted, referencing the Guyer administration.

Sharmeko Tisdale, whose son and daughter are sophomores, showed up to the protest in a blue shirt to support the victim of the alleged assault and to amplify the students’ voices.

Tisdale said she went to Denton police in the past to help another victim of an alleged assault, but nothing came of it. Even with evidence of the incident and recordings from the victim, she said the police didn’t do anything.

Seeing the crowd of energetic students on Friday struck a chord and left Tisdale teary eyed.

“Happy and hopeful,” Tisdale said about how she felt about the crowd. “Hopeful that my prayers have been answered.”

Junior Tehya Pitts said a walkout was needed for students to be heard because school administrators haven’t acted.

She said she’s hopeful that the school administration realizes how serious the students are even if she doesn’t know what actual change may happen. Either way, the student and parental support shows that the community is well supported, Pitts said.

“We’re not alone in this; they care too,” Pitts said about the parents at the protest.