Granite School District has opened an investigation into Taylorsville High after parents told 2News that repeated reports about harassment and sexually explicit messages aimed at students were brushed off by administrators, a school resource officer and a coach. Families say several girls filed incident reports through the district's online portal, only to be asked to relive the details again and again before the school took any significant action. The controversy is now fueling broader questions about how quickly schools flag and escalate behavior that could turn dangerous.
District opens probe
The district confirmed Friday that it is reviewing Taylorsville High's handling of the situation and said it learned of the allegations during a district-level review. As reported by KUTV, Granite said "appropriate action will be taken" once investigators finish their work and noted that some students accused of sending the messages are no longer on campus. Parents argue those removals only happened after weeks of complaints.
Parents say reports were ignored
Parents told KUTV that students had been sounding the alarm since March and that at least one girl filed formal incident reports that never reached the staff members positioned to help. "It is traumatizing every time she has to go over it," Tori Provost said, while stepfather Chris Chidester accused the school of having "turned a blind eye" and called for accountability. Families say school officials initially issued a no-contact order, then later moved to suspensions, a progression they view as far too mild given the graphic nature of the messages.
What district rules require
Granite School District policy calls for prompt and thorough investigations into discrimination and harassment complaints, and it instructs staff to refer serious sexual-misconduct allegations to the District Safe School Committee or law enforcement when needed. The rules also spell out how to report concerns, how to preserve evidence such as text messages and how parents can challenge an outcome if they believe the inquiry fell short. Those procedures are detailed in the Granite School District policy.
Police response and campus safety
The Taylorsville Police Department, which assigns a resource officer to the school, told local reporters the texts were "very graphic and disgusting" but said they did not meet the legal threshold for a criminal threat, so officers did not treat them as a police case. Around the same time, the school briefly went into lockdown after a juvenile was shot in the leg in a nearby off-campus parking lot, adding to already heightened concerns about safety in the area. Parents say that tense backdrop made the school's initial response feel even more out of step with the seriousness of the situation.
How families can press the case
Under district rules, families who believe an investigation was mishandled can file complaints with school administrators, a designated district official or the superintendent's office, and there are formal timelines for grievances and appeals. Taylorsville High's website links to those reporting options, including the district's online portal and the SafeUT tip line for students seeking immediate help, according to Taylorsville High. Parents say they plan to keep using those channels and are weighing additional steps if the district probe does not lead to meaningful accountability.
What happens next
Granite School District has said it regrets the situation and intends to ensure students receive support while investigators continue their review. Parents have a meeting scheduled with school administrators and say they will push for clearer communication and faster action the next time students report similar behavior. District officials did not give a specific timeline for when the investigation will be completed.
