Fairview High School sexual harassment protest

FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio (WJW)– A group of students held a protest outside of Fairview High School on Friday.

The students said they wanted to bring attention to sexual assault, sexual harassment and racism. A few of them told FOX 8 News they were suspended for sticking up for themselves against a fellow student who has been harassing them.

“We feel the school’s not hearing us. And we want them to hear us. We want them to hear us loud and proud because we are proud to stand up for each other and our classmates,” one teen said.

“We need help. We want to feel safe and none of us feel comfortable right now,” another teen said.

“We’re the only advocates for ourselves,” a third teen said.

The Fairview Park City School District released the following statement on the protest:

“The Fairview Park City School District is committed to the safety and well-being of each student and takes any allegation of sexual harassment or assault very seriously. We encourage any student or staff member to immediately report any allegation of wrongdoing.

“Due to student information privacy concerns, the district will not comment on investigations or student discipline.

“The district respects the rights of students to voice their opinions peacefully. We encourage students to use the channels of communication available to them to seek resolution to their concerns.”