By Naomi Tsuang
Editor-in-Chief
Kaelie Macaulay
Copy Editor
And Kyra Williams
Executive News Editor
Multiple female South Bay students have accused a Mira Costa student of sexual assault in multiple alleged incidents that occurred last school year; at least two students have filed police reports to the Manhattan Beach Police Department.
Former Costa parent Thomas Loversky wrote on NextDoor, a neighborhood networking app, on Nov. 27, claiming in a since-deleted post that a male student athlete at Mira Costa allegedly raped or sexually assaulted multiple female students. According to Loversky, he was compelled to write the post after a Costa mother told him that her daughter was sexually assaulted and Costa’s administration did not take immediate action after being informed.
According to a victim who wishes to remain anonymous, when she brought her sexual assault to the attention of Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale during the summer, he delegated it to Vice Principal Stephanie Hall, her guidance counselor and Costa’s school resource officer. Dale did not respond to emails or phone calls from her parents and did not address her sexual assault until Loversky wrote the NextDoor post, the alleged victim said.
“Kids only started coming forward to tell stories because of the chaos that was created due to the social media post,” Dale said at Coffee with the Principal on Dec. 5. “We had nothing in our offices about this, then kids started coming forward and telling stories, not about themselves, but about things they heard. So, then we had to follow up all those things.”
After the post, multiple parents shared with Loversky that their daughters were also allegedly sexually assaulted by the same Costa student. Loversky claims to have spoken with the mother of another alleged victim on Nov. 29, and during the meeting, she presented Loversky with DNA evidence of sexual assault by a second student. According to Loversky, both Costa students allegedly sexually assaulted multiple victims.
“[I want] to change the culture that victims won’t be heard and that student athletes are protected by the school,” Loversky said. “I hope bringing this into the open empowers victims to come forward and also deters future bad sexual conduct.”
The alleged victim filed a police report to MBPD earlier this year but cannot disclose what action was taken, she said. MBPD Detective Jennifer Leach did not respond to requests for comment to confirm or deny that police reports have been filed. La Vista also submitted a request for public records but did not receive a response.
“We are aware of it, and we are looking into it,” Dale said on Dec. 7. “We are working with MBPD.”
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District 2018-2019 Notification of Rights and Responsibilities section on sexual harassment states that “the principal or designee shall inform the student victim that he/she has the right to file a formal complaint at any time in accordance with the district’s uniform complaint procedures.” The Sexual Harassment section is based in part on Title IX, a federal civil rights law passed as a part of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits “discrimination on the basis of sex,” including sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion. According to the alleged victim, Dale did not inform her of this right to file a complaint.
“The District takes seriously its obligation to provide a safe school environment,” Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and MBUSD Title IX Coordinator Megan Locklear said. “To that end, [the] District Governing Board has adopted several policies and regulations regarding unlawful discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, intimidation or bullying.”
During Coffee with the Principal on Dec. 5, Dale said that administration will release a public statement regarding the issue after following up with the involved students.
“I am very concerned and kind of disgusted with what the response has been,” Costa English teacher Diana Sieker said. “I know that there are students who are continuing to alert this to [administration’s] attention, not about specific victims per say, but students who know about victims on their radar. The fact that nothing has been said to anyone about anything publicly is very disconcerting.”
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