Police in Kettering are investigating an incident that unfolded in a locker room at Fairmont Middle School on October 14, involving at least six students and one victim. Cell phones were seized from students for forensic analysis as investigators try to piece together exactly what happened.
According to WHIO, a Kettering Police Department spokesperson confirmed that at least six students and one victim are involved, and that the incident happened in a school locker room. The outlet reported that it remains unclear exactly what took place inside the locker room that day.
A separate account offers more specific, though still unconfirmed, detail about what allegedly occurred. The Dayton Daily News reported, citing a police incident report, that police are investigating a sex offense alleged to have happened in the locker room. That report described a student telling investigators that a friend had told him another student was assaulted around 4 p.m. on October 14 by three others; the reporting student said he asked the alleged victim, who confirmed it. A fourth student allegedly recorded the incident on a cell phone before erasing the video.
Timeline of the Investigation
The incident in question was reported to the school on October 16, per a letter sent to families, according to the earlier WHIO report. That same day, a Kettering Police Department school resource officer met with a school administrator, the Dayton Daily News account states, citing the incident report. The police department released that incident report to the Dayton Daily News on October 29 following a public records request.
The Kettering Police Department continues its investigation into the incident, the station's report notes. Cell phones taken from students have been sent off for forensic analysis, though no findings from that analysis have been disclosed.
District Response and Support for Students
Fairmont Middle School has said it is working closely with law enforcement while also conducting its own investigation into what occurred, with the stated goal of ensuring appropriate action in accordance with board policies. The school also commended the student who reported concerns to trusted adults, according to the same account.
The district said its counseling team, along with administration and staff, would be available to students when they returned to school the following Monday. Beyond the timeline of reports, meetings and seized devices, neither the number of students involved nor the exact nature of what happened in the locker room has been independently confirmed.
