Community News
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Latest Update:
June 3rd, 2026
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Rochester School Committee Meeting
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At a meeting of the Rochester School Committee, our community gathered to address an incident that harmed two children in the girls' bathroom at Rochester Memorial School.​
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A nine-year-old girl was harmed. Also a male student had been placed in a situation that proper school policy would have prevented. Is this not the issue at hand?
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Yet for some at the meeting, neither child seemed to be the priority.
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When school policy fails to protect children, more children will be harmed. This recent harm was preventable. The next incident will have been, too — but only if school committees' policy decisions start and end with the dignity and protection of every child in our schools. Advancing a particular agenda puts our children in harm's way.
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Public comments approx. begin: 07:56​​​​
​You can view the meeting here: https://vimeo.com/1198495446​​​​
June 9th, 2026
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Father Updates Tri-Town Joint School Committee
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The father of a nine-year-old girl who was harmed at the Rochester Memorial School 39 days prior recently spoke to a joint meeting of the Tri-Town school committees, representing all the public schools in Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester. Having previously addressed the Rochester School Committee twice on this issue, he spoke during the meeting's public comment period. After briefly summarizing that his nine-year-old daughter "was sexually harassed in the [girls'] restroom at RMS by a male student," he provided an update on what has — and has not — been done since. And he voiced his concern that without action, it could happen again. He pleaded with the Tri-Town school committee members: "Somebody reach out to me. Let's get something in place and get this figured out. It's not that hard."
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​You can view the meeting here: https://vimeo.com/1200541357
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Public comments begin at approx: 1:57:00
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Also, the father says that the school administration still seems to be inadequately protecting his daughter, reportedly assigning her to team up with the male student who was involved in her recent bathroom incident. See at 1:59:40
To learn more about this story, please see below.
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Exclusive Interview
Watch powerful new video of Rochester father describing his 9-year-old daughter's "innocence violated" by boy's actions in girl's bathroom and his messages to the Rochester Memorial School Administration and School Committee​
Rochester Memorial School Restroom Intrusion Incident
May 19th, 2026
PARENTS FILE FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT AGAINST THE OLD ROCHESTER REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT​
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They “demand that the school ensures the privacy and safety of [their daughter] and all other female students at Rochester Memorial School…."
The parents of a 9-year-old girl at Rochester Memorial School have alleged sexual harassment of their daughter by a boy (who identifies as a girl) in the girls’ restroom at Rochester Memorial School and that “the school has responded to this sexual harassment in a deliberately indifferent manner,” failing to protect their daughter as required under the law.
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The parents say “Multiple other families have complained about this male student using the girls’ restroom, but the administration has done nothing.”
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From the parents’ letter to the Old Rochester District:
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“…on the afternoon of Friday, May 1, 2026, after recess, [their daughter] was using the toilet in the girls’ restroom during the school day when the male student entered the restroom and looked under the door of [their daughter]’s stall. [Their daughter] heard him say, “Whose feet are those?”, and he began to peer in at [their daughter] through the crack between the door and the wall of the stall she was in. Then, the male student pushed the door open, exposing [their daughter] while she was on the toilet and partially undressed. The male then stated “Oh, it’s [their daughter]!” [Their daughter] closed the door and returned to class distraught and in tears….”
Click here for more of the details...
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Learn additional details and context on this story directly from the girl's father
May 20th, 2026​
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Listen to the interview of the girl's father on Boston's Howie Carr show.
Approx. begin time: 20:40​
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May 7th, 2026​
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Rochester Memorial Elementary School Committee Meeting​
Father describes an incident in which a male student entered the girls' restroom while his nine-year-old daughter was inside, looked through her stall, and attempted to push his way in.​
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Public comments begin time: 11:36​
View here: https://vimeo.com/1190520139
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