Brookline High School on alert after girl says she was sexually assaulted while walking to class

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Brookline High School is increasing supervision between buildings after a student said she was sexually assaulted on campus while walking between classes on Monday.

A 14-year-old girl reported that an unknown man in his 20s grabbed her and forced his hand into her pants as she walked to class in the area of Tappan Street around 1:15 p.m., according to the Brookline Police Department.

The victim reported the incident to a teacher, who notified the dean, who reported it to police.

Brookline Police Sgt. Robert Disario said the victim did the right thing, reporting the assault right away.

“The victim’s doing as well as could be expected. Obviously, the shock of it, the shock of the encounter just doesn’t go away overnight,” said Disario.

He said this is an active investigation that will take time, interviews, digital evidence, and leads.

“We’re not assuming that its not someone of the community, let’s say. We’re not eliminating any lead. We’re looking at every possible scenario,” said Disario.

Police said the suspect was wearing gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt at the time of the assault.

In the wake of the incident, Superintendent Linus Guillory urged students to be vigilant as they move from class to class.

“We ask students to be mindful of their surroundings as they move about our campus,” Guillory said in a statement. “While BHS is a safe campus, our high school complex consists of multiple buildings, and students move about on public streets. Students, staff, and all community members are urged to remain aware of their surroundings at all times and report any suspicious activity to any school staff member.”

Brookline Police have also increased patrols at each school in town for safety and security.

Parents said they are talking to their kids about what happened.

“I was really worried because I have a 16-year-old daughter and she walks to school by herself and I know she has periods where like she would have to go from class to class by herself,” said Susan Shu.

“I just told her from now on whenever she can, anywhere she goes, go with someone else not by herself. But sometimes that’s just not possible,” Shu said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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