Principal Evaluating Safety Procedures at Wilde Lake High

The principal of Wilde Lake High School wrote in his second letter to parents in as many days that the school is evaluating safety procedures in the wake of an alleged rape reported at the school on Monday.

"We will maintain a safe and orderly environment for all students at Wilde Lake High School with our continued vigilance and alertness," wrote Principal James LeMon.

He said the school will monitor the 31 cameras placed around the school as well as continue to enforce the following regulations:

• Require students to have a signed agenda book when leaving a classroom
• Administration will be notified if a student is cutting class and will write a referral
• Doors will be checked to make sure they are closed and tightly locked
• Students in unauthorized areas will be reported to the administration immediately
• Hallways and building duty stations will be monitored

In his letter he also thanked the school's community for their support after the incident.

"We will not let this tragic incident outshine all of the great things that go on at WLHS every day," wrote LeMon.

On Tuesday, police announced they had arrested DeShawn Rasheed Jones, 17, of Columbia, and charged him with second-degree rape, second-degree assault and false imprisonment after he allegedly raped a 14-year-old freshman at the school on Monday. Jones is being chareged as an adult.

Charging documents stated Jones admitted to having sex with the girl inside an unoccupied choir room at the school. The girl told police Jones overpowered her despite her attempts to refuse his advances, according to the charging documents. Jones is currently being held on $500,000 bond.

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