Teens Turn To Instagram To Expose Sexual Harassment And Worse at Public High Schools

The Brooklyn Latin School, a specialized high school in New York City, is one of several schools with a student-run Instagram page dedicated to offering a space for survivors of sexual abuse to publicly share their stories. The stories range from sexual assault perpetrated by other students, to inappropriate touching by teachers, and claims that administrators failed to take reports seriously. 

These Instagram pages began popping up in June after months of remote learning, following the height of a pandemic that ravaged many New York City neighborhoods. One high school student said that because she was spending so much time alone, she began to think about and face her trauma. Instagram posts then became a way to reveal and expose her experience with sexual abuse.

At Brooklyn Latin, students met with school administrators Tuesday and demanded that their allegations be taken seriously.

In a written statement, the city's Department of Education said, “We are committed to preventing and addressing any incidents of sexual harassment, including mandating sexual harassment prevention training for all DOE employees and taking appropriate follow-up action against employees found to have engaged in sexual harassment."

Listen to WNYC intern Chloe K. Li’s conversation with host David Furst for more. Li is a 2018 graduate of Brooklyn Latin.