Some Fairview High School students and parents say an assembly for seniors, led last week by interim Principal Terry Gillach, seemed to blame students for what they described as the school’s “toxic environment” around sexual violence.
Senior Annika Spilde said the assembly focused on the school’s reputation, not what the school’s administration is doing to make school a safe place for all students.
“The interim principal referenced bullying and harassment and went on to say ‘no means no,’ but didn’t mention sexual assault,” she said. “Saying just ‘remember that no means no,’ that’s not going to help us fix the sexual violence problem at Fairview. It was basically like ‘It’s on you guys to figure it out and make Fairview’s reputation better’.”
She said she wanted to hear how the administration would help support students.
“The administration’s lack of response and the way they handled (sexual violence issues) exacerbated the situation and made survivors feel like they can’t come forward,” she said. “Obviously, kids are part of the problem. But the way the school has been handling it isn’t OK. I didn’t get the impression from the administration at the assembly that they’re trying to change it.”
Several other seniors shared similar concerns about the assembly’s message, but declined to talk on the record because they said they are afraid of retaliation.
Fairview parents also complained to the district about the assemblies, saying their children’s impressions were that Gillach blamed students for the school’s culture.
“It’s ironic that the adults in charge, who have fostered the toxic culture for many years, sought to lecture our children on responsibility,” Lalenia Quinlan Aweida, who has two daughters at Fairview, wrote to Superintendent Rob Anderson. “It’s also just one more example of victim shaming, for which the administration is well known. Perhaps the ‘warning’ should go to the administration, rather than to a student body comprised of 50% young women who would like nothing better than a safe school environment.”
Boulder Valley spokesman Randy Barber said the district received positive as well as negative feedback about the assemblies. He said Gillach talked to students by grade level about working together and treating each other with respect, including reminding students that “no means no.”
“He really wants to make sure that this is a school where everybody enjoys being and is treated with respect,” Barber said. “It was not intended to blame the victims for the things that happened.”
He added that the school’s administration and the district are “committed to working through the issues that have been identified at Fairview,” including working with students, parents and staff members.
“Students are part of that culture, and it’s important they are part of the conversation,” he said.
Gillach, a retired Boulder Valley principal, is serving as the interim principal while the school district investigates allegations made in a lawsuit that involve Fairview Principal Don Stensrud, who was placed on paid administrative leave earlier this month.
The lawsuit, first reported by The Denver Post, was filed against Stensrud and the school district. The suit alleges that Fairview and Stensrud failed to investigate rape claims against a student athlete and “turned a blind eye to rampant sexual harassment and abuse.” Boulder police also investigated Stensrud for potentially obstructing the police’s sexual assault investigation into another athlete, the school’s star quarterback, in 2019, according to records obtained by The Denver Post.
Another Fairview administrator, dean of students Nick Lenk, was suspended Monday. He was hired by the district on Aug. 11. Barber said he couldn’t comment on the reason for the suspension because it’s a personnel issue.
After hearing student concerns, Janine D’Anniballe, director of Moving to End Sexual Assault, said she’s troubled that the school’s messages could be interpreted as victim blaming, even if that wasn’t the intention.
“One of the things that contribute to a rape culture are blaming the victims,” she said. “Whether intended or not, that’s not going to be useful to get out of the current dynamic. I can understand why that didn’t land well for the students, who already feel like there has been abundant victim blaming.”
She said she also wished the school district had continued the work it started in January with her organization around sexual violence prevention. Moving to End Sexual Assault provided education sessions to students, parents and staff members. The district decided to hold off this school year on continuing the work to wait for the new Title IX Advisory Council to meet and make recommendations, she said.
The creation of the council was delayed in the spring after an introductory meeting was Google bombed, but 48 applicants — including 13 current and three former students — have applied to serve on the council so far. The plan is for the council to start meeting later this month, Barber said. The district also is in the process of hiring a full-time Title IX coordinator, who will be tasked with leading the council.
While the official application deadline for the Title IX Advisory Council was Wednesday, the district is still accepting applications at tinyurl.com/3s45ryc.
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