An 18-year-old student sexually assaulted another student in a Ballard High School bathroom back in March, according to charging papers obtained by both KIRO 7 and the Seattle Times.
Prosecutors allege that Demonte Rigney, a former BHS football player, invited the student to a co-ed bathroom, blocked the door and sexually assaulted her, according to court documents. He was arrested and subsequently charged with third-degree rape, KIRO and the Times reported.
“District staff worked closely with the Seattle Police Department to immediately investigate and make sure all involved were supported and made aware of their legal rights,” Seattle Public Schools said in a statement, but did not provide details due to the ongoing investigation.
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As the parent of a current female BHS student this is both shocking and disturbing news.
However, the single most appalling fact, aside from the assault itself, is that from my understanding, BHS faculty offered character support to the accused attacker! If this is true, those faculty members should be ashamed of themselves for taking sides in the investigation of a Violent Crime against another student!
What kind of message does that send to the entire student body? Not only does this show poor judgment on the behalf of the faculty, it demonstrates low moral character. I hope this is addressed before the wrong message is communicated to both the parents and students at Ballard. Students should Never have to feel unsafe at school.
Faculty showing support for an accused rapist is not creating a percieved safe environment and potentially discouraging future violent crimes from being reported if they feel for one second the faculty cannot be a trusted resource to report abuse.
I’m ashamed of those faculty members and hopeful that this indiscretion will not simply be dismissed as a mistake. I feel any teacher that supports an accused rapist should at a bare minimum lose their job.
Put yourself in the place of the victim, how would you feel?
Judges lose bench seats for siding with athletes in rape trials, don’t you think teachers should be held to a similar standard?
Everything you said here is spot on and well stated. Yet again the trolls vote you down. I’m beginning to see a trend here. Not a good 1 at that. Perhaps if you sided with the perp it would then make you a hero and in touch with your inner feelings, thus receiving up votes??? I do NOT like the new system. Look at what it does to a very serious time here. Trivialization.
I do NOT like the new system.
It’s not that there’s a new system. It’s that you’ve regressed into some sort of delusional, anti-social troglodyte, who surfaces to remind us how much you hate “the liberals and progressives”. Get over yourself Scott.
“BHS faculty offered character support to the accused attacker! ”
They probably had to check off the equity box.
I see you all have convicted this young man before he is found legally guilty. Shame on you. And, he did not play football his senior year, barely played football his junior year. Yet he is identified as a former football player instead of a former student of Ballard. Sensationalism and skewing of the facts by the media! Sells papers and subscriptions I guess. Let’s wait until the FACTS come out.
I just renewed my MyBallard subscription.
Ever heard of “innocent until proven guilty”? But you’ve already convicted not only the accused but anyone who dares to report their good opinion of him. Is that the world you want to live in?
Kiro7 article says the rape occured in the “gender neutral” bathroom. Disgusting. Hope Delmonte ends up in Walla Walla.
I heard the gender neutral bathroom is known as the sex bathroom by the students.
Why is he labeled as a former BHS football player? How bout a former BHS student. What does him playing on the football team have anything to do with it? Just creating a false bias against football players.
Maybe there is a problem with the BHS football team. A while ago a talented BHS football player shot and killed a gentleman in Greenwood during an armed robbery. I doubt the Debate team or the Band has this kind of history.
It appears to be the Brock Turner syndrome that somehow elevates the value of athleticism or affluence over common decency.
Perhaps address your concerns on that topic with Moneeyman Monte.
Sexual assault at a local high school? 8 concerned comments. Homeless people in Ballard? 160+ comments/complaints. If this poor girl was sexually assaulted by a homeless person, maybe local Ballardites would actually care…
News of a crime like this is a great opportunity to either keep your yap shut, or make an ass of yourself spewing uninformed opinions and barely-concealed racist generalizations. Or generalizations about football players or homeless people. They never seem to want to say the individual’s act reflects on all men. They like to use it against one minority or another, but not the dominant privileged gender who is nearly always the perpetrator.
Here’s a way of addressing that: say nothing.
The suspect is either guilty or not, based on evidence that we don’t have here. There’s nothing of value anyone can say. It’s just another platform for the usual trolls to prance and preen in front of an audience.
Now watch them pile on with their personal grudges…
And yet, here you are talking. And talking. And…
Fake libels are scared to say anything because he is black of course.
How did race or politics become a factor in this? The race of either person was not mentioned and certainly not political affiliation. When did speaking out about rape become politicized? I wasn’t aware that there was a difference between Liberal and Conservative rape?
Please educate me about partisan sexual assault?
This happens to you a lot, doesn’t it? You let loose with a rant and “suddenly” it’s politicized. People respond with condemnations of racism, and you have no idea — no idea! — how race ever entered into it!
Mysterious. But the common denominator in these mysterious conversations is you. Why is that?
Where were you Elenchos? Get locked up with those stinky commie ICE prostesters in Pdx who can’t get enough gang bangers to cuck them?
“Sexual assault at a local high school? 8 concerned comments. Homeless people in Ballard? 160+ comments/complaints. If this poor girl was sexually assaulted by a homeless person, maybe local Ballardites would actually care…”
We’re not allowed to say anything negative about rapists named “Delmonte”. There’s your answer.
Nothing seem to have happened to Demonte.
It is deeply concerning and highlights the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of students within educational institutions. It is crucial for schools to have effective measures in place to prevent and address incidents of sexual assault. I have completed a similar project on this topic, and needed guidance on creating a cover page, this resource https://www.aresearchguide.com/cover-page-research-paper.html on how to create a cover page for a research paper can provide valuable advice. It is required to continue to advocate for safe learning environments where students feel protected and supported.