Parents Decry Lack Of Info About Reported Rape

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Woodlawn High School Principal Daniel Edwards is defending his decision to limit information available about a 14-year-old student who told authorities she was sexually assaulted in a school bathroom.

The Advocate reports that school leaders alerted parents of the students involved, but not other Woodlawn parents.

A 16-year-old boy was booked with forcible rape two weeks after the Oct. 3 incident. East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff's deputies took out an additional warrant last week for another teen accused of standing watch outside the bathroom.

School officials note the importance of shielding the victim's identity in explaining why they didn't issue mass notifications to parents. But some students and parents say the alleged rape raises a safety issue and that they should have been informed.