a teenager forced to pay compensation to her school after she refused to cheer for the man who raped her

[Leverkusen]

I don't often post here, but I read this article today and was so appalled

link here

'A teenage girl who was dropped from her high school's cheerleading squad after refusing to chant the name of a basketball player who had sexually assaulted her must pay compensation of $45,000 (£27,300) after losing a legal challenge against the decision.'

Was shocked to hear that snippet on WH about sexist behaviour at Yale and other Ivy League universities. Did not realise that supposedly intelligent men could be such pricks. Maybe was just very lucky at my mixed Oxbridge college in the 80s but never experienced or heard of anything like that.

That message hasn't been given at all, and the reporting in the paper is lousy. There is a severe lacking in justice here, IMO, but it's been presented fairly poorly.

You know what she was asked to cheer?

?Two, four, six, eight, ten, come on Rakheem, put it in.?

She was also told her to keep a low profile, such as avoiding the cafeteria and not taking part in homecoming activities.

Some more info here

How did she not have to give up her hobby? If she carried on she had to cheer on her rapist, if she didn't want to cheer on her rapist she had to give up or change school. As I was writing that I read the cheer! I can't believe she was expected to shout something with, under the circumstances, sexual connotation at him!!

Just read on that link he has no hard feelings towards her as it was a misunderstanding. Ah bless, isn't that good of him?

I want to post but, i Just can't find the words.

I just can't think of anything constructive to post.

it sometimes seems like law against rape is very nearly a dead letter.

'It reads like a very ill-advised lawsuit. As morally correct as it appears, yes, but nothing like the OP is suggesting it is.'

Erm Rohanda, I didn't 'suggest' anything. I copied and pasted a paragraph ffs.

FFS?

There is nothing accurate in your 'headline' for this thread whatsoever.

I saw this in the papers yesterday, and remember it from when it happened too. It is appalling.

Surely he should have been expelled.

My 'headline' is basically word for word the article's headline
Cheerleader must compensate school that told her to clap rapist

Sorry about the ffs, terrible toothache and am extremely narky.

Leverkusen - I do appraciate that and whilst I am posting in short sentences due to time allowed, I am utterly appalled at how the circumstances have been allowed to arise, the pursuance of redress through courts appears befuddled. The paper wished to 'sell' a story and this in paper-world is a very easy target.
there's threee issues to my mind - 1. the playing out of these horrible circs ( and yes he should have been expelled at least) 2. the bogus 'reporting' of it and the lack of info on what grounds the parents brought a claim 3. the consequence of the failure on the girl and on the assailant. I don't think it's as severe as dittany states, but it isn't good.

do hope the tooth fairy, if needed, is generous.

dittany - to answer you're question I don't have any more insight to the case than which I have read on here, and the reporting of it is bogus, certainly in it's title-ing.

All of the rest of your post, which is illuminating, appears as not much more than a small part the case for the proesution, which failed. The families plan is laudable, but again short-sighted in tactic as the Supereme Court have rejected it already and they will not overturn this (v.probably) without crucial and added evidence.

Unhappliy, Idon't think anything of which you have just posted would make the slightest difference. It's pleasing to read the experience has brought the family closer together, but the facts presented the likely outcome that continued legal redress attempts will not provide the satisfaction desired.

The last two paragrphs appear at odds with each other. i.e recogising they won't change this case but still filing a lawsuit.

Another consideration - which is highly speculative - Is why 'the family' are intent on pursuing a lost cause, leaglly. It struck me that were alot of parents in this position they would want to limit the damage already been wrought on their child. Continued exposure and litigation isn't possibly the best way of doing this.

Jesus! What a scary story. I seem to have read quite a few articles recently about really shocking attitudes to rape and sexual violence in the US recently. There was a piece in the Guardian mag last weekend. And there was something on Woman's Hour earlier this week. Does the US have a worse track record than us on prosecuting rapists/supporting rape victims?

Have you never heard of doing something for the principle, Rohanda?

Of people getting angry and fighting and fighting to try to get justice?

You never get anywhere if you chuck it all in before you've even tried.

Also you last post talks of a child - yes she is young but she is not 4. Presumably she has a lot of input into what is going on. She took a brave stand against her attacker when she was cheerleading, she is obviously a very strong person. Why do you assume that all of this is being driven by her family, rather than by her or by them all as a group?

yes, SardineQueen I know about doing things for principle. I also overlay it with wisdom, and the concern forthe individual.
yes she appears to be a very strong person, no matter her age.

And I ddin't assume anything about the 'drivers' - you have deduced badly, ignoring my caveat of 'highly speculative'.

This child should never have been educated alonside her attacker. They should have expelled him.

I simply don't understand your last post. You say it is highly speculative - and seem to be saying that the family are pushing this at cost to their daughter for some unknown motive... What is the point of that type of speculation? Simply to try and cast the family in a bad light for some reason? I don't understand. Everything we know about this points to the victim being pretty strong and outspoken, I see no reason for speculation that she is somehow the victim of her parents desire to have umpteen court cases going on, or what the motivation for that speculation might be.

The mere fact that this case is being discussed and reported in other countries is a victory of sorts, I'd have thought.

If everyone had just accepted the schools actions no-one would know anything about this. It has cast a spotlight into an appalling attitude towards victims of sexual violence in schools in parts of the US, I think it's important that these things are known.