Hundreds sign Camelback High student's petition to address sexual harassment

More than two months ago, Camelback High School student Nichole Segay decided to take her story of sexual harassment public.

Nichole was a 15-year-old sophomore last April when, she said, a male student athlete groped her before track practice, grabbing her buttocks while she was stretching.

Her mother, Belinda Segay, said she texted one of the school's coaches that day to tell him what happened, and he told her he would "handle it."

The Segays say the coach only told the boy not to do it again, and did not report the incident to administration as is required in such situations.

Nichole and Belinda have had multiple meetings about the incident with school and district administrators, and told her story to the Phoenix Union High School District governing board during its November meeting.

Nine months after the incident, the district told The Arizona Republic it is still investigating her claim and the school's response. To the Segays' knowledge, neither the male student nor any staff have faced repercussions.

Nichole and Belinda believe Camelback High staff did not properly report or investigate Nichole's claim, and that administrators have mishandled the fallout.

In an effort to draw attention to the issue, the Segays published a Change.org petition Monday pushing the school and district to act.

The petition, titled "Protect high school students from sexual violence & retaliation," received about 500 signatures in less than two days.

"The only thing that Nichole’s been saying is just to have a protocol for this, and so each student that comes forward isn’t retaliated against," Belinda told The Arizona Republic Tuesday. "The stuff she’s enduring since she came forward is ridiculous. She’s 16 and she’s trying to make things right for herself."

Mom: 'She doesn't like to be left alone'

PUHSD policy requires its employees to report all claims of harassment. Employees must fill out a student incident form documenting the allegation and submit it to the principal or assistant principal. A staff member who knows of a harassment claim and fails to report it can face discipline.

The district student handbook's definition of sexual harassment includes unwanted touching. The school is required to forward claims of harassment to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.

"Automatically, the (coach) should have been fired. He didn’t do his part as a mandated reporter," Belinda said.

Belinda said that in an October meeting with the coach, principal and athletic director, the coach dismissed Nichole's allegation as "a silly teenager grab-ass game," and said that if the Segays thought it was a problem, they should have reported it to the police.

MORE: Camelback High runner accuses school of minimizing sex harassment claim

Students also can fill out the student incident report form and submit it themselves, which the Segays say they were not aware of for months but did after the October meeting.

Within days, Nichole received a brief apology letter from the boy.

The Republic is not naming the accused boy because he is a minor, and because the Segays don't want to name him.

District policy also requires every charge to be investigated. Investigations can result in suspension or expulsion for the offending student.

Federal law prevents school personnel from discussing student education records, and on Tuesday the district declined to comment on the male student or the petition. The Segays say the boy has not been disciplined and still sometimes walks behind Nichole at school, which makes Nichole uncomfortable.

"She doesn’t walk to her classes by herself anymore," Belinda said. "She doesn’t like to be left alone."

District investigation is ongoing

After Nichole spoke at the November governing-board meeting, the district hired a lawyer to conduct an investigation of her claim and the school's handling of the matter.

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District spokesman Craig Pletenik issued a statement on the matter Tuesday.

"The District takes any allegation of sexual harassment seriously, investigates all allegations, and takes action to correct and remedy substantiated allegations of sexual harassment. At this time, based on input from the ongoing investigation, the coach has not been removed from his position as a coach. If, as the investigation concludes, the District learns that he has engaged in conduct that would warrant discipline or removal from his position as a coach, appropriate action would be taken at that time."

'They’re just waiting for us to go away'

Nichole said she has faced retaliation from school staff and administrators, so much so that she is unsure if she will participate in school sports again. Nichole has even considered transferring schools but doesn't want to leave DECA, Future Business Leaders of America, and her honors classes, Belinda said.

The Segays are happy the district hired an attorney to lead the investigation, but also think it seems to be taking too long.

"It sounds like they’re just waiting for us to go away," Belinda said.

BLAND: Women who speak out aren't being rude. They're just done being nice.

Instead, Belinda reached out to the Arizona State University student club Sun Devils Against Sexual Assault, which helped her draft the petition.

The petition asks Camelback High School for four things:

Punish the male student.

Let Nichole train with a different coach.

Fire the coach in question and hire a new one "who deals proactively with sexual violence and treats female athletes with respect."

Apologize to Nichole for the whole experience.

Although everyone around her is telling her to get over the incident and stop talking about it, Nichole is not fazed, Belinda said.

"She says, 'I’m not done until I know that kid and that coach won't let it happen to anyone else,' " Belinda said. "I would like future female athletes to be taken seriously when they come forward."

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