A Pennsburg woman who claims an Upper Perkiomen football player sexually assaulted her daughter blamed the school board for allowing the incident to happen. She chastised the  members for their role in the alleged incident and for allowing him to play on the football team.

            The woman, who provided no additional evidence to support her claim, announced the player's name near the end of the Oct. 13 regular public meeting. She said she decided to publically inform the members that he "has been convicted of Felony 1 rape and multiple misdemeanors of sexual assaults, and will forever register as a sexual offender."

            The student is no longer a member of the team, according to information provided Tuesday by Alexis Jenofsky, the district's communication specialist. An amendment of the Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949 prevented the district from taking action until he was convicted in common pleas court or juvenile court.

            Jenofsky's response to a series of questions stated the district is committed to following Act 110 with regard to students who are convicted or adjudicated delinquent of sexual assault committed off-campus. The law requires that students who have been found guilty of sexual assault against another student be educated in a separate school from their victim and not be permitted to participate in the same school-sponsored activities. 

            The mother accused the board members of allowing a rapist to play on the football team during the meeting's second public comment period. She claimed to have sent an email message to the board at the start of the current school year requesting that he be removed from the football team.

            "Not a single one of you emailed me back," said the woman, whose name is being withheld by the Town and Country to protect her daughter. "Not one."

            Jennifer Beltz, a Marlborough resident, said she felt "absolutely sick to her stomach" that the district allowed a student accused of rape to play on the team. She claimed his presence endangered the safety of all other students.  "Everyone in the district should be ashamed," Beltz said. "Anyone who allowed it should be fired."

            None of the members, administrators or Solicitor Kyle Somers responded to any of the comments during the meeting. Federal privacy laws prohibit district representatives from discussing disciplinary matters involving specific students, according to the spokesperson's message.

            The Pennsburg woman said the boy's presence threatened the safety of her daughter and other victims and said security escorted her daughter to her car in the parking lot during games.

            According to the mother, the incident involving her daughter occurred last school year, on the same day as the high school was disrupted by a bomb threat. On Nov. 3, 2021, administrators dismissed students early following the discovery of a note on a bathroom wall with suspicious, potentially threatening, language.

            The alleged incident took place off school property, according to email correspondence between the woman and administrators on a video she posted on a community social media page the following day. The video now appears to have been deleted.  "If you would have made sure she got on the right bus, this would not have happened," she said during the public meeting. "You're incompetent fools. You owe my daughter an apology."

            When her allocated speaking time expired, her husband took her place at the lectern. He asked the members what they were going to do to keep future students safe.

            "This is disgusting," he said, adding that the members would "personally pay" for the mental distress they caused for certain female students.

            The district response said it is committed to ensuring that Act 110 is carried out with fidelity. To this end, during the meeting, the board held a first reading of Policy No. 218.3, which would govern discipline of students convicted of or adjudicated delinquent of sexual assault.

            "The district does not tolerate sexual harassment," the message states. "Any individual  student or parent/guardian who believes they have been subjected to sexual harassment is strongly encouraged to make a report which will be promptly and thoroughly investigated."