An intellectually disabled teenage girl was suspended by Brooklyn school officials in 2016 after she reported being gang-raped by a group of male students, according to a federal lawsuit.
The suit, obtained by the Daily News, states the girl, 15, who asked not to be identified, has an IQ of 71 and had no disciplinary record at the Teachers Preparatory High School when she was suspended after reporting a group of male students forced her to perform oral sex.
The alleged incident occurred Feb. 5, 2016, when the girl was surrounded by seven male students while walking in one of the school’s hallways on her way to meet with a teacher, the suit stated. One of the students allegedly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a stairwell where she was forced to perform oral sex on two of the students.
The girl told school officials about the alleged assault six days later -- but she was suspended after a 24-hour investigation for “engaging in sexual activity at school” when officials determined the interaction was consensual, according to the lawsuit.
"My client is a 15-year-old girl of color on public assistance with a severe developmental disorder who was gang raped at her Brooklyn school and then suspended for it," said Carrie Goldberg, the attorney representing the girl.
It was not immediately clear if any of the male students reportedly involved were suspended. One of the students was arrested and charged with “sexual misconduct and sexual assault” but it was not clear if he was tried, found guilty or sentenced due to the case being sealed.
The Daily News reported officials eventually “reversed the suspension” but the girl said she remained traumatized by the incident. The suit alleged the girl suffered from anger issues, post-traumatic stress disorder, hair loss, anxiety and failure to sleep.
School officials did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
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