San Francisco police arrested a man at a high school Wednesday after he allegedly trespassed onto the property and pushed a female student into a girls restroom stall.
Campus security and administrators from Galileo Academy of Science and Technology put the campus on lockdown, called 911 and detained the man until police arrived.
The 17-year-old victim said she had been pushed into a bathroom stall by the suspect, Sandeep Singh, 41, police spokesperson Niccole Pacchetti said. No injuries were reported.
Singh was booked into jail on charges of contacting a minor for sexual purposes, false imprisonment, committing a felony while out on bail, possession of a controlled substance and annoying or molesting a minor, Pacchetti said.
The incident occurred in the third floor restroom of the Marina District high school.
“The student was understandably shaken and is receiving the appropriate care that they need,” said Laura Dudnick, spokesperson for the San Francisco Unified School District.
The student’s information is not being shared to respect her privacy.
In a message describing the incident for the school’s faculty shared on social media, interim principal Peter Avila emphasized that the man was not armed, but said it appeared students had opened the Bay Street door to let the man inside.
“What is unsettling is that multiple students witnessed the adult male outside of campus, trying to open doors, looking through them, and asking some to let him in,” Avila wrote.
Avila said the school had been advocating for improved communication and security systems for the building, and that he has been trying to keep all restroom doors ajar and faculty in classrooms near restrooms are asked to monitor them so they remain open.
“Galileo has a comprehensive emergency plan, as well as security protocols in place that helped the school quickly gain control of this situation,” Dudnick said. “This was a shocking incident for the school community, and we know it may be upsetting to students. The school’s wellness team is providing additional support to students as needed.”
The incident is still under investigation, Pacchetti said.