The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Schools: We do not tolerate assault
>> Days after a Torrington High School student was scheduled to appear in court to answer to sexual assault charges, Superintendent Denise Clemons issued a statement reaffirming the district’s zero tolerance policy for inappropriate conduct.
Andrew Cavallo-Gomes, 17, was arrested April 18 by Torrington police after allegedly assaulting a minor at Torrington High School. He has been charged with attempt to commit first-degree sexual assault, fourth-degree sex-
ual assault and illegal sexual contact with a victim under 16, according to state records.
“As a school district, we do not and will not tolerate this type of conduct or any other inappropriate conduct toward any of our students,” Clemons said in a statement Thursday. “We will hold accountable any students who engage in such behavior. In the rare situations when we receive allegations of such conduct, we investigate the claim immediately, properly and thoroughly so that the rights of all students involved are fully respected.”
Such incidents, Clemons said, are reported to police and the state Department of Children and Families, if appropriate, and responded to with the aim of protecting the well-being of students.
In this matter, Clemons said the district had conducted an investigation and cooperated with police.
“We wish to assure all members of the Torrington school community that the safety of our children is the District’s foremost concern and there are many policies and procedures in place to ensure the well-being of all our children,” wrote Clemons. According to an affidavit seeking a warrant for Cavallo-Gomes’ arrest, district officials reported the matter to police in February 2017, within days of when staffers were informed of the alleged incident.
Officials spoke with students about other incidents involving Cavallo-Gomes’ behavior as part of a further internal investigation, according to the affidavit, which was compiled into a report that was shared with police.
City police, in a release Thursday, noted that the alleged assault took place on Dec. 6, 2016, and the people involved were previously known to one another.
Both Clemons and Torrington police, in separate statements, said they would not discuss the arrest further at this time.
Clemons said “we will not and cannot comment on discipline of any individual student” as a result of federal laws concerning the confidentiality of student matters, while Torrington police said they would not comment further as the case is based on a juvenile arrest warrant.
Because two of the charges are felonies, Cavallo-Gomes is being tried as an adult in Litchfield Superior Court, where is due to appear on June 6. His case was transferred there on May 1.