Rochester Teachers Association president on teacher’s allegations that student sexually assaulted her

Editor’s Note: This story makes reference to a graphic assault. Reader discretion is advised.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — The Rochester Teachers Association is disappointed with the way the district has handled recent violence, including a recent attack on a teacher. The president of the union tells News10NBC he feels RCSD is "dysfunctional".

RTA President Adam Urbanski said this year, they’ve had 80 teachers resign due to a mix of the pandemic and out-of-control violence. The president told us assaults on teachers have happened and are happening. He said teachers are reluctant to report any incidents because of the fear nothing will be done. He said the union is just finding out about a sexual assault against a teacher inside Franklin High School that happened weeks ago.

"A police report was filed, a report was filed at central office and at the school, and the Board of Education was not informed, families are not informed, the public is not informed?” Urbanski said.

He feels the district is not giving enough support to their teachers, and that’s what keeps them from speaking up when something happens.

“The district has the money to provide that, and they’re not doing it, I think we’re dealing with a dysfunctional school district,” Urbanski said.

Urbanski added that assaults on teachers are happening more now than he’s ever seen.

"When students see no response, no consequences, for certain behaviors they get the wrongful message that, that behavior is ok," Urbanski said. "What we need from the district is actions not lip service.”

He said the district has not acknowledged the unions’ 11-point immediate solutions from earlier this week, like increasing security, smaller class sizes and more.

"The only response we’ve received from the district is that they want to do ‘committees’, that’s not going to solve the problem, we gave them 11 proposals and they haven’t acted on a portion of one of them,” Urbanski said.

The Board of Education told News10nbc that they were set to have meetings this week with the mayor, the district and RPD. Urbanski said none of the four unions were invited or involved in those meetings.