School mascot assaulted
Ganado student attacked at Window Rock football game

The Window Rock Scout Mascot leads the Window Rock Football team onto the field on Friday night at the Ft. Defiance Fieldhouse Football Field. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Karen Francis
Staff writer

GANADO — For many high schools, homecoming is one of the highlights of the year – a time for students and community to show pride in their teams and their school. But one parent is scared for the safety of her daughter even as Ganado High School prepares for its homecoming tonight.

Bertha Wilson is upset with the Ganado Unified School District for not taking any action in what she says was an assault on her daughter during an away football game against Window Rock.

“I haven’t slept. I’m constantly worried about my daughter,” she said. “There’s too much violence. I can only think ‘Is my daughter in danger again?’”

Wilson said she is frustrated because school officials don’t seem to care about an incident that purportedly happened on Sept. 28 where three Window Rock High School boys physically attacked her 14-year-old daughter, who was in the Hornet mascot costume at the time and was there with the school as part of the Ganado cheerleading team. Wilson was not at the game and was only told about it after.

“No one seems to be concerned about it,” Wilson said. She said that she has attempted to contact Ganado school numerous times on the issue but school officials have been slow to respond.

“I’m not only speaking for my daughter. It’s the safety of our children, for the whole school,” she said.

While Wilson said that she received a phone call from the Window Rock High School Principal James Fitch apologizing for the boys’ behavior and informing her that four boys had been suspended because of their involvement, she said that more needs to be done to keep students safe while they are at school or participating in school activities.

“What I would like to see is protective measures,” she said.

Wilson said that it was the Ganado High School cheerleaders who had to step in to save her daughter. She said that she was told the boys who jumped on her daughter did not know she was a girl because she was in costume.

After the incident, her daughter had to borrow a cell phone on the way back to Ganado to tell her about the incident because none of the chaperones called either parent.

“It just totally scared me,” Wilson said.

“For three boys to jump on top of her, they could have broken her bones,” she said. “They could have killed her.”

Wilson said that her daughter had bruises and was sore from being pushed down.

“It should not be overlooked,” she said.

When the Independent called Ganado Unified School District for comment, it was referred to Ganado High School Principal Emily Arviso, who was acting superintendent while Superintendent Dr. Deborah Jackson-Dennison was on travel. Arviso said, through her secretary, that she was not at the game so she did not know anything about the incident. She then referred questions to Athletic Director Gary Premo through her secretary.

When the Independent was able to contact Premo, he said, “As far as we’re concerned, Window Rock is taking care of any issue.” He would not elaborate on who in Window Rock was taking care of the issue.

When asked if the school was concerned, Premo would only say “No comment.”

Wilson said that Arviso also told her that Ganado High School was not involved.

“Ms. Arviso told me they have nothing to do with it. She said it’s up to Window Rock school,” Wilson said.

Wilson is puzzled why school officials are saying that they have nothing to do with it when her daughter was under their care at the time of the incident.

“It’s nothing to the school officials,” she said.

Wilson said that Fitch told her that the Navajo Police were there after the incident. However, there was no report with the Window Rock police department and Lt. Emerson Lee of the Navajo Department of Public Safety said that the school is unwilling to release its brief report on the incident.

Questions to Window Rock Unified School District were referred to Safe Schools Coordinator Stewart Calnimptewa who said he would return the Independent’s phone call after his meeting but did not respond. Window Rock High School Principal Fitch was also unavailable for comment on Thursday.