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Edison Prep students arrested after alleged assault

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TULSA -- Two 13-year-old boys at Edison Preparatory School were arrested early Tuesday morning after police say they sexually assaulted a female custodian.

Parents are now questioning how two students were able to roam inside the building late at night, which led to that alleged sexual assault.

“Why would they think it was OK to go into the school when there was nothing going on at the school and the school was closed?” said Teresa Zandstra, mother of two Edison Prep students.

In a statement, Tulsa Public Schools says the boys stayed in the building after hours on Monday. Police say the two approached the custodian and bothered her while she was trying to clean. Officers say she tried to get away, but the situation escalated.

“One of them grabbed her butt, so then she knew immediately this is not good I need to get away from them. She calls her supervisor and the phone disconnects because the juveniles take her phone away from her," said Sgt. Jiliian Phippen with Tulsa Police.

Police say the boys gave the woman her phone back, but in the process touched her breasts. The custodian then called her supervisor who alerted police.

“It’s always scary when something like this happens because you know how well is she going to be able to perform her job now? Is she always going to be looking over her shoulder wondering if someone is there?” said Zandstra.

This mother says she feels safe with her kids in the school, but wonders if more could be done to secure the building.

“You should maybe make them more aware to just kind of check and make sure that’s everybody is out of the building,” said Zandstra.

Students at Edison Prep told 2 Works For You that the two boys were not in school on Thursday and have been suspended, but Edison Prep has not confirmed that.

The school says in a statement they take matters of safety and security very seriously and respond appropriately.

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