BUFFALO, N.Y. - Alumni of Nichols School, as well as students from other local schools, held a rally Saturday in support of students who recently took a stand against what they say was the mishandling of a sexual assault allegation.

About 200 students staged a walkout in Dec. 13 after allegations that one student sexually assaulted another at a home in Amherst.

The Erie County District Attorney's Office, along with the Amherst Police Department, say they are investigating the alleged sexual assault at a residence in Amherst.

Protest organizers say the accused student was not removed from the private, college preparatory school, leading to student objection.

"From what I understand, the students did not feel supported by the administration whatsoever," said Nichols School class of 1989 alum Christen Clifford. "They did not feel that they were listened to, and I feel that the administration has to take sexual assault seriously. They have to give respect to survivors. They have to listen."

Nichols School officials say the school is safe.

"Nichols more than respects the rights of our alumni[ae] and students to assemble, it promotes those rights, which are fundamental in our curriculum and our values as a school,” the school said in a statement. “However, student concern is about an event that allegedly happened off-campus, not during school hours, and is part of a police investigation. Our campus is and continues to be a safe place where our students' well-being is always paramount."

The handling of the alleged incident is not the first controversy Nichols School has seen. After the school's board of trustees launched an investigation, a report released in 2018 revealed that 10 teachers at the school had inappropriate relationships and sexual misconduct with students since the 1970s. The school renamed its ice rink after discovering that its namesake, former teacher E. Webster Dann, was one of the 10 accused.

The name change is not enough, however, for former and current students, who are calling for a change in the foundation of the institution. "I think that Nichols has changed the name on the rink, but I don't think that the culture has changed very much," Clifford said. "I think that Nichols has a long history of putting power and prestige over students' health and welfare." Former graduates applaud current students for speaking up for what they believe in.

"I wish that myself and my fellow students had exhibited that kind of courage when we encountered problems with administration and discipline problems within the school," said 1989 alum Eric Saldanha.