Summit Updates Security Plan after Sexual Assault

After a student allegedly attempted to rape his teacher, officials took the opportunity to review their safety plan and make any necessary revisions. Principal Brian Johnson said an incident of sexual assault had never occurred on the Summit Prep campus before.

“We examined the parking lot security, everything,” Johnson said.

On Jan. 23, David Velasquez, 19, his teacher in an underground parking lot on the school campus. He faces four charges that can carry up to life in prison, according to the District Attorney’s offices. Velasquez and is .

The other Summit students were in an intersession, a multi-week period in which students pursue other extracurricular activities off campus such as rock climbing or cooking, when the incident occurred. However, he and Executive Director Todd Dickson visited all the sites to inform students of what happened.

“We felt bad that some students had to hear it in the media,” Johnson said.

Those who did hear of the incident through channels other than the school took to the time to respond.

“I would have to say that this is horrible and has never happened before...,” wrote Nick Shafer, a student at Everest School, the sister school to Summit Prep. “This is definitely an isolated incident within the school, violence is a rare event .”

Students were also briefed for a half hour talk about the incident once classes resumed in January. Johnson added that the sexual education classes events specifically like these.

“Everest and Summit are both amazing schools, please do not let this event make you think otherwise about them,” Shafer added. “They are amazing schools, and the students there love them very much.”

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