HS cheerleader kicked off squad for refusing to cheer for her rapist

[blas87]

I can see where you're going, but if this guy truly did rape her, why make her change her life and the way she goes about it because of something that wasn't her fault?

If I had a friend who cried rape and it turns out she just wanted to ruin a guy's life, sure I'd probably never speak to her again. But here, we're assuming he has done it, and the school is punishing this girl instead of the guy.

I myself got in trouble once for threatening a football player. For the umpteenth time, he had called me a slut or whore (one of those lovely words) and I lost my cool and I got in his face and actually grabbed him and threatened great harm upon him if he didn't stop. This had been going on for so long, no teacher did anything, even ones who heard him taunt me. In fact, I was sent to the principal for threatening a model football player. Please, just because he could run a ball, didn't mean shit. The guy was dumber than shit under snow, and if he didn't have football, he'd have nothing, so it was about time he got his only joy taken away so he'd learn some respect for others.

[Greenday]

What I'm thinking is this is a case where many think she is calling rape after the fact. Avoiding the cafeteria for example would probably be better for her if the alternative would be to face constant taunting and provocation. We all know schools aren't perfect and can't protect students all the time, and simply avoiding the problem would be the safest solution for her.

You can say she shouldn't have to change anything but we don't know the whole story, all we have in one biased source. If your best friend was accused of rape by a girl you know went willingly with her I bet you wouldn't happily sit with her for lunch, you would let her know how you feel. Thats apparently what the school feared and offered advice. They didn't force her to follow it.

I am 99.999% sure that if blas's best friend was convicted of rape, she wouldn't go anywhere near him.

[blas87]

Wait, did you mean if a guy friend was accused of rape, or if a lady friend cried rape? I took it to mean a girlfriend who falsely accused a guy of rape.

[Greenday]

Wait, did you mean if a guy friend was accused of rape, or if a lady friend cried rape? I took it to mean a girlfriend who falsely accused a guy of rape.

"If you best from was accused of rape..."

Implying your friend is the one doing the raping.

[blas87]

Either situation, I'd never speak to them again.

[blas87]

That does make sense, but it just goes to show how unfair things end up being. It's sad that people are still supporting the slimeball, to the point where they'd have to advise the girl to lay low.

A couple of late fall/winters ago, I had an ex who was stalking me and my new boyfriend (well, he was new at the time ). I guess still doing my regular business wasn't a big deal because I always had new guy with me, but there were times I asked myself if I should even bother and go. But on the one hand, you don't want to change your life because someone has spat upon it and made a dent in it.

[Eisa]

That...infuriates me beyond all rational measure. That fucking prick. How about the fact he has an assault charge on his record? Why is he even still allowed in that SCHOOL?

A little off-topic, but that reminds me of when I told my mother how my ex raped me the entire time we were physically together, and she was like, "I don't see why you hate him, Eisa, you shouldn't hate him." Seriously?

[Eisa]

^No, I'm saying he shouldn't be in the same school as the person he assaulted. If that happened here? He would NOT be going to the same school. He'd actually probably be going to the alternative school. That's what happens when you have a criminal record. And assault is not like jaywalking or "oh you stole something from the grocery store." He hurt another human being. He raped another human being. Why should he be allowed to walk the same halls as the person he hurt...and suffer virtually NO consequences whatsoever? Just because "he's an athlete?" Who gives a shit that he's an athlete, that doesn't mean you suddenly don't have to face up to what you've done.

[Hyena Dandy]

I don't like this one bit. Now, I'm all in favor of giving people the benefit of the doubt. I never want to say someone did something unless its proven in a court of law, and it wasn't proven that he raped her. The school (if its a public school) should be acting only on the basis of what is legally considered to have happened (assault, and then a court case) because the school is part of the state government.

That said, I think that discussing whether she was raped or not is irrelevant. Assuming she was 'only' assaulted, she STILL has a life-long traumatic experience, and should not be expected to cheer on the guy, even if he 'just' raped her.

If I consider (as I do) public schools a government institution, they should treat people as criminals only if they've been convicted of a crime. However, the government has no greater duty than to protect its citizens.

This is a case, where for the victim's psychological protection, ONE of them should be moved to a different school. If it has to be one of them, though, it should be her. Not because she should be punished for being raped, or even assaulted. Far from it. But she's clearly become a social pariah. That's not a healthy situation from her, and if he was forced out of the school, that would make the situation worse for her.

I think that the athlete should be sent to prison, or if underaged, to a juvenile detention facility. The cheerleader should be relocated to another school at, and I rarely use this phrase, state expense. She's been through enough already. Keeping her around this guy's friends will only make it worse.

[blas87]

She'd be allowed a choice because she's the victim. If she really felt danger or nothing good out of continuing to go to the same school, then she should be able to go. But I think it'd be better to be brave and stay, which she shouldn't be forced out of school if that were ever the case, especially to let the jerkoff rapist stay in school and continue playing sports without her around. That'd be wrong.

If you break the law, you have to pay the consequences. Can't do the time? Don't do the crime. Just because the rape may be over or the court case may be over, doesn't mean people won't look at you funny or judge you, or you may have a hard time finding a job........and in his case, he really ought to be kicked out of that school for what he did. You don't get treated for breaking the law, you get punished.

[blas87]

No, not really.

It's the same thing as having a hard time finding a job after multiple DUIs or even say, being a registered sex offender. It goes with the territory. It's part of doing the time. There is more than just the day it happened, the arrest, the trial, the sentencing......there will be a stigma to follow you the rest of your life.

He raped a girl. It's one of the most despicable things you can do to another person. It's not going to go away or just be forgotten about. If this guy wanted to stay in school and sports and live a normal life, he shouldn't have done this. Part of putting your life back together is realizing what you've done and the consequences you face and the sacrifices you will have to make because of the desicions and choices you've mad. If he has to go to an alternative school, he did it to himself. He could still graduate and go to college and hopefully never touch another girl inappropriately ever again.

[blas87]

I beg to differ. If I had a kid, I wouldn't want him or her in a school with a rapist, be it a teacher or a student.

It's not "no education for you", it's that he could go to an alternative school or like a Challenge Academy (like one we have in Wisconsin, though it's more military but also has schooling), for kids with criminal backgrounds and really troubled youth, because maybe even alternative school isn't the best because not every kid in alternate school is a troublemaker. The Challenge Academy is a place for kids like him to get their lives back on track.

[AdminAssistant]

Public schools can't and shouldn't expell students because of something they did in their personal life.

Oh, bullshit. If a kid commits a crime that causes harm to others, even if it's not on school property, then they should not be allowed to return to public school. They've proven that they can't function in a normal society. This lovely human being has proved that he can't keep his dick in his fucking pants. He can get a GED and try to get a job with that.

Besides, athletes are given special privileges and are supposed to be held to a higher standard. Ideally, they should get kicked off a team or suspended for low GPA's, disciplinary issues, etc. I think committing a felony is appropriate grounds for suspension from a team. Education is a right, to a certain extent, but extracurricular activities are a privilege.

[blas87]

And to a certain extent is exactly what went on.

[telecom_goddess]

I agree it's bullshit...what he did was not just something in his personal life. What he did affected a fellow student and in my opinion is more than enough grounds for expulsion. Not suspension, not a hand slap, but expulsion. Nothing less.