ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Abington School District is reviewing its security protocols after a 25-year-old man charged with the attempted rape of a 14-year-old student at the district's high school was able to enter the building multiple times, officials said.
Raeem Grange-Allen of Philadelphia faces charges including attempted rape by force and attempted statutory sexual assault, among others, according to police. He was arrested on June 18 and is being held on $250,000 bond, court records show. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 2.
Police said the student told investigators she met Grange-Allen at Abington Senior High School, where he identified himself as a student. He communicated with her through text messages and social media before asking her to let him into the school, according to a police affidavit. The girl reported letting him in approximately three to four times, including on two occasions in March when she opened a back door during the school day.
Video footage showed Grange-Allen wearing a hoodie and briefly blending in as a student while moving through the hallways, Abington Superintendent Jeffrey Fecher said in a message to families and at a school board meeting on Tuesday.
On March 27, Grange-Allen went to the girl's home in Abington Township, where he held her down and attempted to rape her, police said. The girl screamed, and her mother intervened, according to the affidavit. She reported the incident to police the following day.
Fecher said there are “numerous unresolved questions about this man’s presence in the high school, as well as, where and when he initially encountered the victim.”
“We are launching a third-party internal investigation and are working with police to gain additional information,” Fecher said. “We are reviewing all of our security protocols and procedures, and will be working with the Montgomery County Department of School Safety to determine whether additional security measures can be put in place.”
He noted that while exterior doors are locked throughout the school day, building occupants can open them from the inside for evacuation purposes as required by law.
Fecher said the district shares the concern this information has caused families and is committed to addressing it effectively while following best practices. Details remain limited due to the ongoing investigation and the involvement of a minor.
Abington Township police continue to investigate. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Jeff Anderson at 267-536-1118 or janderson@abingtonpa.gov.
