HENDERSON (KYTX) -- The former Henderson High School student who says she was raped on campus went public Friday with a story that she's never shared. It came just hours after Henderson ISD responded to a new federal ruling that says district leaders mis-handled their investigation of that incident in 2010.
According to the Federal Office of Civil Rights, what happened at the school in 2010 put Henderson ISD in direct violation of the Title IX law. They say by putting a student who said she was raped in a disciplinary situation with the student she said raped her, they deprived her of her right to having an equal opportunity for an education.
Rachel Bradshaw still has a hard time sharing the details of the day she says she was attacked at Henderson High School. She says most of the people she told in the beginning never believed her. They called what happened consensual.
"It's just weird because it's just nothing I've ever said to anyone," she said.
Bradshaw went to an assistant band director to tell him what happened.
"He had told me to approach my attacker and ask me why I did it," she said.
She missed a day of school and then told someone else on campus. They started investigating, and she told her story again.
"The next day they told me that, they told me that I was going to be put in DAEP just because I did not cry during my investigation," she said.
The DAEP is a disciplinary campus, and she was put there with her alleged attacker. But a Dallas law firm took her case, got her out and she finished high school somewhere else. The American Civil Liberties Union stepped in and on Thursday the Federal Office of Civil Rights said Henderson ISD did not properly investigate.
"I think it was the first time I had a real smile since before that day," Bradshaw said. "It takes time. It's going to take time. You know, I've been through many, many programs. They've helped me know how to deal with it. It doesn't ever take it away."
The ACLU tells CBS 19 the district will have to do a total of thirteen things to make up for what happened in 2010. Among those, the district will have to review its records to make sure no other violations occurred. They'll also have to wipe Bradshaw's disciplinary record clean.
No criminal charges were ever filed against Bradshaw's accused attacker. She said there's still a possibility that she'll try to press charges now that this latest investigation is over.
Henderson ISD released the following statement Friday:
In December of 2010, a student at Henderson High School reported an alleged sexual assault. HHS administrators contacted the Henderson Police Department and cooperated with the police and district attorney on the investigation. After examining the evidence and conducting interviews, the police and district attorney investigation concluded with no criminal charges and determined the sexual conduct to be consensual.
Title IX requires that a school district conduct an independent investigation regardless of whether a criminal investigation concerning the same allegation is pending. HISD has revised investigation procedures to meet Title IX requirements and continues to be committed to providing a safe environment for all of our students. HISD has entered into a resolution agreement with the Office of Civil Rights and is dedicated to achieving the specified action items.
