Cheerleading rape victim ordered to pay school thousands for not cheering rapist's name

[LoopaDaLoopa]

Story here

I think this is truly awful. $45,000 for not cheering his name, and for bringing a 'frivolous' court case, when she claimed her right to free speech had been violated.

[Casmama]

Unbelievable!

[Booyhoo]

i just dont know what to say anymore. sometimes i think this world needs to implode and just end all the crap that exists here.

[Tortington]

this is so wrong

[caramelwaffle]

Absolutely outrageous.

[SpecialAgentDaenerysTargaryen]

I hope this becomes a huge public outrage and blows up all over the Internet.

America is becoming more and more like the Middle East every day.

[MurderOfGoths]

Dear fucking god :( Sports "stars" seem to be absolutely untouchable

[Booyhoo]

yep goths. throwing a ball= carte blanche

[NiceTabard]

i remember this it was a couple of years ago. I wonder what happened in the end.

[RedHelenB]

But SHE launched the legal action didn't she? It just didn't find for her. I do have sympathy but she was representing the school & bigging up their team.

[VinegarDrinker]

Seriously depressing

RedHelen are you serious? You think she should have just accepted being dropped for the team for refusing to cheer him on?

[VinegarDrinker]

The "surrendering the right to free speech" and agreeing to speak on behalf of the institution makes me feel quite sick actually.

[Anifrangapani]

It is dispicable that the school elevated sport over the wellbeing and safety of women. They condoned his behavior by letting him play at all. What sort of message is that?

[RedHelenB]

No, but i don't think legal action was the way to go!

And as a cheerleader you are cheering on the team you represent which he was part of. I can see why the coach wouldn't want this silent protest all the time.

I suppose I am saying i can see why the court ruled against her. Different if she had gone to the match in her own right & did n't clap or booed.

[tribpot]

School cheerleaders don't get paid, though - there's surely no contract between them and the school that negates their own right to free expression. And it's also a fine line with the growth of cheerleading itself as a sport, that the cheerleaders were not there to compete against the other cheerleaders in the sport of cheerleading. Rather than being there to lead cheers of support for the team. If that makes sense.

One can only imagine how different this outcome would have been if the football player had been found guilty of a crime like drug dealing or assaulting another man. You know, real crimes instead of just made up ones about girls who should know better.

[tribpot]

Sorry, I meant there is an argument that the cheerleaders were there to compete against the other cheerleaders.

[RedHelenB]

I admit I don't know much about the ins & outs of the cheerleading squad BUT she took a risk with legal action & it didn't pay off. I do totally agree that the guy should not represent the school either after his conviction btw!

[RedHelenB]

What I mean is, he shouldn't have been on the team in the first place, hence the situation wouldn't have arisen. But since it did, I think legal action wasn't the way to go!

[VinegarDrinker]

They punished the wrong student though Helen - surely criminal conviction for sexual assault should mean banning from the team?

[VinegarDrinker]

X posts, glad we agree he shouldn't have been on the team in the first place

Still very uneasy about the loss of free speech rights when you agree to join a cheerleading squad

[FasterStronger]

He had been found guilty of assault so should not have been on the pitch.

The school let him on the pitch.

[Booyhoo]

the school put his victim in the position of either supporting her Convicted attacker or of being removed from the team. she should never have had to make that choice. the school are responsible for the situation and therefore responsible for her removal from the squad.

also, does anyone know why there wasn't some sort of restraining/distance order on the attacker after the conviction? how come he was allowed to attend school with his victim?

[Hullygully]

dear dear lord

[cumfy]

Only in America, eh.

It's a very real measure of their society and perverse values.

A good piece on the full story

[cumfy]

Apparently he threatened to shoot a teacher in an unrelated incident and went virtually unpunished.

[VinegarDrinker]

I agree the legal method doesn't seem ideal but what other options are open to a teenager when the school have clearly come down on the side of the guy?