Scenes From Rockville High As Students Stand Behind Their School

Students declare 'Rockville Strong' despite strain of past week

By Bethany Rodgers

Students made signs with the "Rockville Strong" message to demonstrate unity on Thursday. Bethany Rodgers

Rockville High School Principal Billie-Jean Bensen tugged open her office blinds at lunchtime Thursday and peered out at a scene that was empty of television cameras for the first time all week.

Finally, she said. A day that felt somewhat normal.

The previous day had been a tough one, Bensen said. Inaccurate reports about safety concerns at the school had frayed nerves that were already stretched thin by the tumult surrounding rape allegations against two Rockville High teens last week. The horrifying reports drew even more attention because the accused students had recently arrived from Central America, a fact that plunged the school into the nation's immigration debate and prompted comment from officials all the way up to the White House.

Calls and emails, some seething with anti-immigrant vitriol, flooded into nearly every publicly listed staff phone number and email address, Bensen said. The principal said she's been concerned about the effect on all employees and students, but particularly Spanish speakers who might feel targeted by the hateful outpouring.

"I think it's important that we don't let this horrible, horrible incident define Rockville High," Bensen said.

So on Thursday, students and staff united behind their school with the message, "Rockville Strong."

Images of rams and bursts of orange – the Rockville High mascot and color – appeared on T-shirts, and classes created upbeat posters to tape across the hallway walls. Students arranged fresh flowers in front of a second-floor window.

Senior class president Mary Margaret Bilodeau partnered with Bensen, her classmates and the Hispanic Leadership Club to pull off the school-wide show of unity.

"Our school is very diverse, and that's something we celebrate," the 18-year-old student said.

"The beginning of the week was definitely somber, and everyone was still shocked about what happened. People still are kind of freaked out, but talking about it really paid off," said Rockville High senior Mary Margaret Bilodeau, who helped coordinate the day of school pride. Photo by Bethany Rodgers.

"Today is RockvilleStrong. We need to unite and show that we are one school together healing," Bensen told her students in her morning announcement. Photo by Bethany Rodgers.

"The news stories last night were wrong. Yes we are getting horrible, ugly calls, and many of us are getting very ugly emails, but you are safe," Bensen announced to students on Thursday. "Any negative actions planned for today are only going to keep the press here possibly writing more inaccurate stories. We all want them to go away. We want them to write articles about our award-winning newspaper, our music program, our sports team, our academic bowl winners, our super seniors and where they are going to college." Photo by Bethany Rodgers.

Rockville High expressed their school pride with posters displayed in the hallways on Thursday. Photo by Bethany Rodgers.

Bensen holds a paper bag full of encouraging notes from students. Though school staff has faced a flood of negativity, Bensen said they've also gotten supportive messages from students, platters of food and bouquets of flowers from parents and expressions of solidarity from other Montgomery County Public Schools employees. Photo by Bethany Rodgers.

Posters of school pride hung in Rockville High's hallways on Thursday. Photo by Bethany Rodgers.