Possible sexual assault on school bus under investigation

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a possible sexual assault on a school bus that was returning from a field trip Thursday afternoon.

Sheriff Jeff Easter says the assault occurred between two students and was reported by St. Mark’s School to the Sheriff’s Office on Thursday night. The school is in Colwich.

The school was returning from a field trip. According to the school’s event calendar, first and third graders were on a field trip Thursday from 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the middle school was on an all-day field trip to Topeka.

Tracy Bourne, Renwick superintendent, released this statement:

“I can confirm that an incident involving students occurred on a St. Marks bus yesterday. The bus was returning from a field trip when the incident occurred. The administration was made aware of the incident and has followed BOE policies and State Statutes in handling the situation. The investigation is ongoing, and we are working with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s office. In protecting student confidentiality we can’t provide any additional details surrounding the incident.

“Renwick is a great district, St. Marks has a strong tradition of excellence, and we have outstanding students. Right now the district focus is on making sure that our students have their social, emotional, and educational needs met. As always our first priority is the safety and security of our students.”

No other information was released by either the school or Sheriff’s Office and the assault is still under investigation.

This story was originally published October 20, 2017 at 7:06 AM with the headline "Possible sexual assault on school bus under investigation."