Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Complainant opted not to prosecute
COLFAX — Law enforcement officials won’t be pursuing charges in an April sexual harassment complaint against boys on the Garfield-Palouse High School baseball team.
The complaint was initially made to the Garfield and Palouse School Districts, and then to Garfield law enforcement two months later when the issues had not been addressed.
“I was notified about this incident for the first time two weeks ago, and as far as I know, the school is investigating the issue,” Town Marshal Joe Handley said, noting he received the complaint two weeks ago. “As far as I am concerned, there is a third-party investigator.”
Handley notified Palouse police and the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office.
Palouse Police Officer Joel Anderson said he has yet to receive contact from Palouse School District administrative staff or any parents.
“I have had no contact with either school districts, school administrative staff or parents,” he said. “It is probably because everything happened outside the city of Palouse; I let the appropriate jurisdiction look into it.”
The complaint of inappropriate touching and harassment detailed incidents in Garfield, the baseball field and other locations.
Handley also forwarded the complaint to Sheriff’s Office deputy Cory Alcantar.
Alcantar spoke to Palouse School District Superintendent Mike Jones, Sheriff Brett Myers said, noting the Alcantar and Jones met June 14 with complainant Mary Inman.
“The school did their own thing because it was mainly a school thing,” Myers said. “Inman did not pursue criminal charges.
“It didn’t rise any occasion of law enforcement or court involvement.”
Inman went public with the complaint at an open school board meeting June 27.
During the public meeting, she also reported additional conduct witnessed by others in which student-athletes allegedly touched each other inappropriately.
The incidents escalated to threats, including one in which her son was told to “watch out in the parking lot,” she said.
Olivia Harnack is a Journalist at the Whitman County Gazette. Olivia is enrolled at University of Idaho and is majoring in digital film studies. She serves in the United States Army National Guard and is proud to serve Whitman County.
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