WHEATFIELD, Niagara — It was an emotional Niagara-Wheatfield Board of Education meeting Wednesday night.
The majority of the meeting surrounded the fact that a Niagara Wheatfield High School student convicted of rape was allowed to attend school with the victim after the school district was notified of the conviction.
There was a large showing of support for the victim, and many of them were demanding answers from the board of education.
Leslie Camp, who says she is the victim's mother, read a statement from her daughter about the trauma she experienced while going to school with her predator.
“I was stuck seeing my predator everyday. I had to deal with people bullying me about it and sending me photos of him and people accusing me of lying about it.”
Camp said she told Niagara Wheatfield High School Principal Michael Mann about the conviction the day after it happened.
“I told him that he is now a convicted felon, a sex offender, rapist and asked Mr. Mann, what can we do to ensure that my daughter is comfortable these last few weeks of school now that he has been convicted,” she told the board.
When the student remained in school, some students walked out of school last Friday. The students who left school faced consequences.
“The principal gave me one day of ISS (in-school suspension) which I served on Monday,” said student Skylar Culver.
“If I could walk out again. I most definitely would. It was helpful to the victim. It was helpful to the victim's parents. It was exactly what needed to be done," she said.
At the start of Wednesday night's meeting Superintendent Daniel Ljiljanich addressed the situation.
“I want the school community to know that from the day I was shown the court document evidencing the plea of guilt, the student in question was no longer in our district," said Ljiljanich.
Ljiljanich also said that the students who participated in Friday's walk out should not have faced consequences.
Board of Education President Steven Sabo apologized to the victim's family for how the situation was handled.
During the meeting, Leslie Camp called for the resignation of Niagara Wheatfield High School Principal Michael Mann.
“I asked for Mr.Mann's resignation and I am hoping that we get that," she said.
The Board of Education listened to the concerns of the parents, students and community members at the meeting. They said they will be looking into changing policies at the district to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
"It will be something the policy committee will be taking a look at,” said Board President Steven Sabo.