The following letter was submitted to the Board of Education on Monday by Dani McTiernan Huge, a student representative on the city’s school board and a junior at Wilbur Cross High School. The letter addresses the district’s response to Hillhouse Assistant Principal Daniel Bonet’s alleged sexual assault of a student during school hours.
Dear New Haven Public Schools Board of Education Members,
It has been almost five months since Jane Doe, a student at Hillhouse High School, was reportedly sexually assaulted by Hillhouse Assistant Principal Daniel Bonet in his office during school hours. She was brave enough to report this to Hillhouse staff who are mandatory reporters. They then honored their obligation by reporting this up, where it reached Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Hillhouse principal, and New Haven police.
You would think that after this report, the Hillhouse assistant principal would not be allowed access to Hillhouse’s building or its students. That is not what happened here.
The very next day of school, which was after a three-day weekend, Assistant Principal Bonet was somehow able to return to the building, and had the authority to call for a school lockdown. How could this happen?
From what we can see as students, there has been no accountability by the board for this egregious failure.
We need to know that our safety matters, that our voices matter, and that New Haven Public Schools will protect us, especially with a societal issue this upsetting and damaging.
Here are the facts (all of which took place at Hillhouse High School in 2026):
Thursday, May 21: Jane Doe is allegedly forcibly kissed by Assistant Principal Daniel Bonet in his office during school hours.
Friday, May 22: Jane Doe is allegedly raped by Bonet in his office during school hours. Jane Doe tells two Hillhouse staff as well as a classmate. The two school staff report the allegation to DCF (CT’s Department of Children and Families) that same afternoon. Hillhouse Principal Antoine Billy and the New Haven police are also informed.
Morning of Tuesday, May 26: After the three-day holiday weekend, and four days after Jane Doe was brave enough to come forward and report the alleged sexual assaults, Assistant Principal Bonet, the assailant, is let back into Hillhouse. Not only is he let back into the building after Jane Doe, a student, reported that he had sexually assaulted her during school hours, he is also named the administrator in charge that day, and has the authority to call for a school lockdown. He calls for a school lockdown, and upon hearing his voice over the loud speakers, Jane Doe becomes so distressed, she reportedly has to leave school early.
Later on Tuesday, May 26: Finally, Assistant Principal Bonet, the alleged sexual assailant, is placed on administrative leave, and leaves the building.
Monday, Sept. 14: Bonet is arrested on two charges of sexual assault (after turning himself in following a police-issued warrant for his arrest). This is almost four months after DCF notified the district and New Haven police on May 22.
The facts speak for themselves. We are faced with questions such as: How could the district let this happen? How can we go to school and feel safe if an assistant principal can allegedly rape a student and be let back into the school building four days after Jane Doe’s report? As students, what should we think, if Jane Doe was brave enough to report what happened, and no action was taken?
Imagine being Jane Doe and hearing your assailant’s voice over the loudspeaker, announcing that you are now locked in the building with him. This situation shows an outrageous lack of care for Jane Doe, students, and the protection of our safety, and sends the message to Jane Doe and Hillhouse students that their voices do not matter. You can imagine how scared and upset Jane Doe felt, hearing her assailant’s voice over the loudspeakers. Why was she not protected? Why, when a NHPS student came forward and reported sexual assault, did the district not take the proper steps to ensure her safety?
Since this information was made public, the Board of Education has not made an acceptable statement on the matter. As a Board of Education, students should be their number one priority. Why, therefore, was student safety not prioritized at all in this situation?
As students, we demand that our voices be heard and our safety be protected.
1. We demand that the Board of Education take responsibility by answering this one question: What leadership role was responsible for ensuring Assistant Principal Bonet immediately lose access to Hillhouse’s building and students after Jane Doe’s report, and how will they be held accountable?
Students need to know that if they are brave enough to report a sexual assault, that action will be taken to protect them and others from the alleged assailant. Given this, why/how was Assistant Principal Bonet let back into the building four days after the student reported the alleged assaults? This is a question the board can answer immediately.
What is the proper process following an allegation like this in terms of removing an alleged sexual predator from school premises, and was it followed in this case? If not, why not? And how will it be properly enforced to prevent this from happening again? This should never happen again. These are also questions the board can answer immediately.
Once a proper investigation is complete, the board needs to make a statement with full knowledge of the facts of the situation, and an understanding that the community and students are waiting for answers.
2. We demand that there be a clear action plan following any alleged assault being reported.
We demand that employees with a record of inappropriate sexual conduct do not have access to students or the school building immediately after being reported.
We demand that NHPS have clear and immediate protective procedures. There needs to be a clear plan to follow regarding sexual assault allegations in school.
3. We demand recurring consent education for students; we demand Title IX and sexual assault trauma training for leadership
We demand that there is recurring consent education in our schools. In health classes, consent needs to be a thoroughly discussed topic. We also need to make sure that we, as students, feel safe enough at school to know we can talk to teachers and ask for help.
We demand that all current and future NHPS Board of Education members, including the mayor, complete Title IX training and sexual assault trauma training.
We demand that all current and future executive management, including the superintendent, complete Title IX training, Mandated Reporter Training, and sexual assault trauma training.
4. We demand that NHPS convene a student-led task force on sexual assault, consent, and trauma education initiatives, with the objective of implementation for SY 27-28, and also including:
Dani McTiernan Huge: New Haven Board of Education Junior Student Representative (Wilbur Cross High School)
Abdellah Aly: New Haven Board of Education Senior Student Representative (Hill Regional Career High School)
Brandon Daley: New Haven Citywide Student Council Lead Student Climate Liaison, Community Youth Leadership Assembly President (Metropolitan Business Academy)
Derek Kerr: Community Youth Leadership Assembly Vice President (Hamden High School)