The Essex Police Department arrested a 16-year-old boy over numerous accusations of "serious sexual assaults" that allegedly occurred four different times at the school, according to The Telegraph.
Police say that the boy has since been bailed out of jail and the department is "working closely with the school and local authorities while enquiries for this investigation continue." Authorities are not naming the school to protect the victims, who are minors.
Tory MP Miriam Cates, who is a former teacher, was disturbed by the allegations and expressed the need to enact measures that safeguard female-only spaces.
"Gender-neutral facilities are a threat to the safety of women and girls because they create a private space hidden from the public view where assaults cannot be witnessed," Cates said. "While, of course, the vast majority of males do not mean females any harm, the few who do will inevitably seek to take advantage of the opportunity that gender-neutral facilities present to commit offenses."
"I very much hope that the new DfE guidance will make clear that gender-neutral facilities are a safeguarding risk and should not be allowed in schools," she explained.
The allegations come as the United Kingdom government is set to issue guidance on transgender policies in schools within the coming days.
According to The Telegraph, there are multiple bathrooms at the Essex school that are strictly designated for use based on biological sex. However, the school has one gender-neutral facility that is in the shape of an "open suite" which can be used by either sex.
Stephanie Davies, who founded Transgender Trend, slammed gender-neutral restrooms and called on parliament to take the necessary actions that could protect future victims.
"Gender neutral means mixed sex and that immediately means that you are not able to safeguard girls," Davies said. "We need a preventative strategy. It is no good waiting for these assaults to take place and punishing the perpetrator, but the policies that schools are implementing at the moment are the opposite of preventative."
“Schools need to show that they considered the impact on all people protected by the Equality Act, and if they can't then that could leave them open to legal challenges from parents," Davies explained.
A spokesperson for Essex County Council explained to The Telegraph that the county is "working closely with Essex Police and relevant authorities regarding a safeguarding matter at a school in Essex."
"We are supporting the leadership at the school and will provide additional support to the school community if required. The school has communicated with parents and carers and has offered support," they said. "Due to the ongoing police investigation the school is unable to comment on specifics around what they are doing in response to the allegations. However the school takes all allegations extremely seriously and will always review policies and safeguarding procedures following safeguarding matters such as this."
On Tuesday, MP Nick Fletcher called on the Department of Education to ensure that single-sex spaces are protected in their upcoming guidance, according the the outlet.
"Why are we creating an issue that we do not need to create? That is what we are doing by placing boys in girls’ changing rooms and toilets and vice versa," Fletcher said. "Our job is supposed to be to take away risk, but these policies are actually increasing it. That isn’t to say that all boys or men are a threat, but we should prevent the possibility of something bad happening."
