DIAGONAL — No charges have been filed after a high school student at Diagonal Community School reported a male high school student made a video-recording of her and another female student changing in the locker room of the school’s gymnasium April 13.
The incident was first brought to the attention of the Creston News Advertiser after the girl’s father, Grant Plowman, contacted the publication out of frustration from what he believes is a lack of accountability by the school.
“The school is failing to discipline the boy. The girls have been harassed by adults, seniors. Those text messages have been relayed to the deputy. As of this morning, the superintendent threatened the girls there would be consequences if they talked with anybody,” said Plowman.
Karleen Stephens, superintendent of Diagonal Community School District denied Plowman’s statement.
“The situation has really impacted the overall operation of our school,” said Stephens. “Because certain students continue to talk about it ... it was making the situation worse. So, we shared with the ... students that they had a choice – they could talk with the law enforcement, their parents or school administrators. That’s within our realm to do. When behaviors are impacting the overall operation of the school, we can put things in place to calm things down.”
The incident
Plowman’s daughter said she contacted the male subject – who had access to a key to the school’s gym – so she and a friend could run indoors.
Stephens said the student procured the key from his parents, who had keys to the facility as coaches for a youth recreational league.
Plowman’s daughter said after their workout, she showered, and both she and her friend changed their clothes. As the girls collected their belongings, her friend pulled a pair of sweat pants off a locker and inquired if they were hers. Plowman’s daughter said, “no.”
“She started putting them back on top of the locker and noticed there was a phone sitting in a pair of shoes like it was sitting up recording us,” she said.
Plowman’s daughter said the phone was hot to the touch, but dead, so she plugged it in to her phone charger. She said she could tell it had recorded something, but she was unable to view it because the screen was locked.
Plowman’s daughter did not report the incident right away – not even to her parents.
“I really didn’t think they would believe me,” she said.
Plowman’s daughter said she told a few friends about the incident, who told a teacher, who reported it to the school’s principal, Lorna Paxson. She said Paxson asked her about the incident April 15 as Paxson drove her from Diagonal to a class in Mount Ayr.
According to Plowman’s daughter, the phone was confiscated by Paxson April 16, but that Paxson did not find a recording on the device. The school reported the incident to the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department that same day. Plowman said he believes the phone was turned over to the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation.
“Due the fact that this issue was turned over to law enforcement, punishment from the school will not be determined until we have a full police report to coordinate with our school investigation,” said Stephens. “I am recommending to the board that we determine the punishment after the full police report has been issued.”
Rob Haley, Ringgold County sheriff refused to release the circumstances being investigated or immediate known facts of the case.
“I reached out to my county attorney ... his information is this is not public information. It is a juvenile matter/investigation ...” said Haley.
Ringgold County Attorney Clint Spurrier was not available for comment.