Channel 11 talks to Steubenville superintendent about rape allegations against 2 students

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — The superintendent of a Steubenville school that has come under scrutiny when two members of their football team were accused of rape talked to Channel 11 News Thursday.

Mike McVey spoke with Channel 11’s Cara Sapida Thursday for the first time since the scandal broke.

“It’s horrendous. If even a little bit is true, the empathy is with the young lady,” McVey said.

The scandal, where two students are accused of raping an unconscious teenage girl at a party last summer, has gained international attention recently. The Internet group Anonymous released a video of another teen joking about the alleged assault.

“Due to laws and confidentiality, I can’t comment on that,” McVey said when he was asked if the suspects were still in school.

Protestors have been outside the Steubenville courthouse demanding for justice and more arrests. Other people have claimed that Big Red football players were involved, but aren’t being held accountable.

“I’d say academics is most important,” McVey said when Sapida asked him if football was more important than anything else. “We have 2,450 kids. Sixty kids don’t make a school district. One football program does not make a school district. Our goal is to graduate these kids, and make them better, compassionate and caring people who make better decisions.”

McVey said the school district has hired more security and counselors. He said they’ve also added Healthy Lifestyle programs.

“I just hope we increase our awareness and curriculum, our knowledge of what can happen and our knowledge of what did happen. Hopefully it will never happen again,” McVey said.

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