Class president allegedly suspended for defending his sister against football player's sexual harassment
The family of Westlake (Caif.) High senior Dominic Conti is threatening a lawsuit against the school district if he is not reinstated as class president following his ousting over a suspension that resulted from an altercation with a football player he believed was sexually harassing his 15-year-old sister.
The family called a press conference in the Los Angeles suburb, publicly stating their outrage over the school's alleged failure to respond to multiple complaints about the player and its overall contribution to a football program they believe has a systemic problem, which includes an August hazing incident that resulted in a separate player's arrest for allegedly sexually assaulting as many as five teammates.
According to the Contis, Dominic had previously warned the Westlake administration of the player's repeated harassment of his freshman sister, and when he allegedly witnessed a third incident, he confronted the player at an Oct. 11 football game along with his father Larry and a security guard.
"He begins asking me to do things to his private parts -- many things to his private parts -- and I begin to tell him no and I would never, ever do that," the girl told CBS Los Angeles in an anonymous interview. "I'm a victim of sexual harassment," she added. "And you know what, it is not okay."
The Contis told KCAL9-TV that when Larry asked, "Are you the one harassing my little girl?" the player threw a lunging punch in his direction. That's when Dominic says he "pushed down" the player's arm but did not throw a punch. "I can assure you the way I acted was in self defense," he told reporters.
However, Marcus Evans, a parent who claims to have witnessed the incident at a home game against Simi Valley (Calif.) Royal in October, interrupted the press conference and declared, "They choked the little kid, the little African-American kid. He didn't do anything. He was trying to get away from the dad."
As a result of the confrontation, Dominic Conti was reportedly suspended for five days and stripped of his class presidency. The football player received a two-day suspension, according to CBS Los Angeles.
As a result, the family is reportedly threatening legal action if the school district does not issue an apology, wipe the suspension from Dominic Conti's record and reinstate him as senior class president.
