Date: June 28th, 2014 3:34 PM
Author: Beady-eyed bronze tanning salon
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Lawyer-Accused-sex-offender-also-a-victim-5582868.php
BRIDEPORT -- Harding High School students forced two severely mentally disabled students into a possible sexually inappropriate action, the lawyer for one of the disabled students charged Thursday.
On Wednesday, Patrick Nolan, 19, was charged with first-degree sexual assault, risk of injury to a child and third-degree abuse after police said he sexually assaulted a mentally disabled teenage boy in a bathroom at Harding on the second day of school last year. Police said a group of non-disabled students cheered as they watched, and one of them recorded the incident on his phone to show around school.
Nolan was released to the custody of his parents following a brief court appearance on Wednesday, and the case was continued to July 15.
"This boy (Nolan) is profoundly retarded, and this is lost on the depiction of the situation," said his lawyer, Mark Phillips. "Able-minded students got these two special-education students into the bathroom and then egged them on into a situation and filmed it. They are the criminals."
The other students involved have not been identified, and no one other than Nolan has been arrested in the incident. School officials said they didn't know which students were involved so they didn't take any action during the school year.
Police only began investigating after the alleged victim's mother made a complaint.
From his so-far limited investigation, Phillips said, it is clear that the incident occurred because school policy was violated.
"An aide or teacher allowed special-needs kids to go to the bathroom by themselves, which is against school policy," he said.
Lyle Hassan Jones, who works as a truancy officer at Harding and said he is concerned about safety in the school, agreed.
"It's obvious that somebody did drop the ball in the school," Jones said. "Special ed students are never supposed to go to the bathroom without supervision, and somebody was off doing something they shouldn't at the time."
"This is a really sensitive incident and I have no comment at this time," said interim Superintendent of Schools Fran Rabinowitz.
In the meantime, Phillips said, his client's parents are trying to deal with the allegations against their son.
"The process has been very punishing to this family," he said. "And Patrick, because of his limited understanding, doesn't fully appreciate everything that is happening."
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2605640&forum_id=2:#25835186)