Principal apologizes after Hamilton, Ont. school makes dress code announcement amid sexual assault investigation
The principal of a Hamilton, Ont. high school has apologized after making an announcement about the female dress code just days after police began investigating sexual assaults related to the school.
Three days ago, Hamilton police confirmed they were investigating several reports of sexual assault and harassment connected to Waterdown District High School, located near Parkside Drive and Hamilton Street.
Students say during Thursday’s announcements, they were reminded to adhere to a dress code that would see them cover their shoulders and stomachs.
“It felt as if they were telling us it was our fault,” Waterdown student Sophie Vivian told CP24 Friday night.
In a letter sent to parents on Thursday, Principal Theresa Sgambato says “the timing of the announcement was insensitive to the ongoing concerns about sexual assault.”
“We are sorry and wish to apologize to anyone who interpreted this announcement as being unsupportive of victims of sexual assault or abuse,” the letter, obtained by CP24, said. “We vigorously denounce victim blaming. Sexual assault has nothing to do with what someone wears.”
Vivian does not accept that the school got its timing wrong.
“I honestly don’t believe that,” she said of the school’s explanation. “They could have made it in the last two weeks, the beginning of the year, or even waited a few weeks.”
On Friday Vivian helped organize a walkout at the school, saying that the goal was to empower any victims of sexual assault and harassment as well as show that the dress code needs to be updated to apply to both boys and girls.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.