Adult at park touched Berkeley High student 'inappropriately'

Limited details have been released but TBS has asked officials to comment.

Adult at park touched Berkeley High student 'inappropriately'
Students leaving Berkeley High on a recent afternoon. Emilie Raguso/The Berkeley Scanner

Authorities are investigating a report Wednesday that an adult at a park across from Berkeley High had "inappropriately touched" a student on her way to school.

Berkeley police said the student, who is 18, reported the incident around 10:30 a.m. BPD is actively working on the case.

BHS Principal Juan Raygoza sent an email about the incident to parents at about 4 p.m.

"I would like to make you aware that today we received a report that an unidentified adult community member inappropriately touched a BHS student at Civic Center Park on their way to school," Raygoza wrote. "Upon receiving the report, we immediately notified our BPD School Resource Officer who began an investigation."

Raygoza told parents that the school had followed its normal procedures in response to sexual harassment and assault reports involving students on their way to school.

"We notify law enforcement and provide supportive measures to our student, and issue an advisory alert to the community," he wrote in the email, entitled, "Safety Incident Today."

"As always, we rely on our BHS community to say something when they see something in order to keep our students safe," he wrote, in closing.

Multiple parents asked The Scanner if it was possible to find out more about what happened.

"Several parents are very concerned for the safety of their students," one wrote.

The Scanner has asked school officials for additional comment and will update this story if they respond.

Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park is located directly across Allston Way from Berkeley High School and across MLK from the police station.

Ongoing construction at the park and a growing homeless encampment have limited space for students in the area in recent months.

More coverage of Berkeley High

Police find 2 guns at Berkeley High, 2 students arrested
Police arrested two male Berkeley High School students, ages 17 and 18, as a result of the investigation, BPD said.
Berkeley High sexual misconduct case has settled. Now what?
Former students who made allegations against teacher Matthew Bissell have asked BUSD to overhaul its approach to claims involving sexual misconduct.
Bomb prop for project prompted Berkeley High evacuation
BUSD said it was eventually able to determine that the suspicious device was a prop for a class project. Scroll down for multiple updates.
Man held to answer in fatal shooting of Cal basketball great
Dashcam footage from other drivers helped the CHP identify suspect Juan Angel Garcia, then 25, in the death of Gene Ransom.
🚨
Readers asked about this incident, which resulted in this report. Have questions about crime in Berkeley? Alert The Berkeley Scanner.