No, she sued the school claiming a first amendment violation when they kicked her off the cheerleading squad for refusing to cheer. The school had to spend $45,000 defending against this suit, including two levels of appeals, which they won at every level because her claim was ridiculous. She's being ordered to compensate the school district for the legal expenses.
They punished her for refusing to cheer the boy who admitted in open court to raping her, she sued over it.
The fact that she was suing to be reinstated into a ridiculous position doing ridiculous things doesn't change that she was expelled from said publicly-funded position for refusing to cheer the boy who admitted in open court to raping her.
Notice that the rapist is back on the team just like nothing happened, while the VICTIM is the one that is told to suck up and smile or leave the cheerleading squad.
Why was this boy allowed back on the team at all?
Oh right, because BOYS WILL BE BOYS, AMIRITE FELLAS?
But, oh, it should be. And perhaps transfer to an alternative school. Because allowing the assailant (for "assailant", read "rapist") to return to the same school/workplace as the girl victimizes her again.
This link just came up in my twitter feed: http://thelxl.com/help-the-cheerleader/ I don't know anything about these ladies, but they talk about contacting the lawyer in the comments.
Personally speaking, I cannot get into the mindset of someone who was raped, who is then still keen to get back into the environment where she will meet said rapist time and time again.
She has every right to be there - in the same way I'd have every right to keep going back to a National Front meeting after being beaten up by racists. I still wouldn't want to go there unless I *had* to. But then I'm a coward.
This is not remotely on the level of rape, but: a few years back I had a very acrimonious falling-out with somebody who'd been a close friend. My view of it (no doubt theirs differs) is that they attacked me savagely, and badmouthed me to friends, for no very good reason. Just the thought of interacting with this person got me upset.
So why would I go to an event where I knew this person would be, knowing I'd be uncomfortable and defensive? Because the alternative was letting their behaviour separate me from friends and places, and I was not willing to give in to that.
I would guess that cheerleading is an important chunk of that girl's social life, and that she's not willing to give it up without a fight.
I would assume she's trying to live her life like she would normally. Cheerleading means a lot of things to a lot of teens. Not the least of all, popularity. Being raped (causing a myriad of other mental issues) and then on top of that NOT going back to what has been giving you confidence through difficult teen-dom, how do you not go back?
The difference is, getting beat up by racists- that was bound to happen if you go to a National Front meeting (I assume from your context). Going to cheerleading? Well, if we all expected to be raped, no one would go to that either.
Personally, what I'm gonna get from this, don't be young, attractive, and live in Texas.
the rapist, despite being convicted of the assault, hasn't been expelled from the school so going to school means going back into the environment where she will meet said rapist time and time again.
More to the point BEING A CHEERLEADER DIDN'T CAUSE THE RAPE, THE RAPIST BEING A RAPIST CAUSED THE RAPE.
we don't know what her alternatives are: she might well want to go to another school - but is that a *practical* option? we don't know enough to be able to say.
her behaviour is not inconsistent with someone who has been traumatised, but has to go on living with/near her abuser.
I am fascinated by the fact that Silsbee High School and its associated school district has apparently removed ALL email contact information from their websites. I guess they were afraid of the emails they'd get/they were getting over this.
I have to say 90% of the time when you see a story like this, there is usually a few key details that the press left out that make the whole thing sound a lot more sane. For a while I had been planning on digging into this, and had a little bit of free time today.
This is part of the remaining 10%. The details make it worse. Much, much worse.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 01:03 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 01:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 01:57 am (UTC)The fact that she was suing to be reinstated into a ridiculous position doing ridiculous things doesn't change that she was expelled from said publicly-funded position for refusing to cheer the boy who admitted in open court to raping her.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 03:58 pm (UTC)but someone ought to have had the balls to pull the plug on the roadcrash from the outset.
the 'first amendment' approach had no real chance of getting up. and her (parent's) lawyers ought to have known so.
that said, the school did not handle this well at any stage either.
no one did themselves proud here.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 02:38 am (UTC)Notice that the rapist is back on the team just like nothing happened, while the VICTIM is the one that is told to suck up and smile or leave the cheerleading squad.
Why was this boy allowed back on the team at all?
Oh right, because BOYS WILL BE BOYS, AMIRITE FELLAS?
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 04:04 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 04:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 05:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 10:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 02:35 pm (UTC)And perhaps transfer to an alternative school.
Because allowing the assailant (for "assailant", read "rapist") to return to the same school/workplace as the girl victimizes her again.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 07:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 10:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 10:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-13 08:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-13 08:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 09:02 am (UTC)She has every right to be there - in the same way I'd have every right to keep going back to a National Front meeting after being beaten up by racists. I still wouldn't want to go there unless I *had* to. But then I'm a coward.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 10:48 am (UTC)So why would I go to an event where I knew this person would be, knowing I'd be uncomfortable and defensive? Because the alternative was letting their behaviour separate me from friends and places, and I was not willing to give in to that.
I would guess that cheerleading is an important chunk of that girl's social life, and that she's not willing to give it up without a fight.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 12:16 pm (UTC)The difference is, getting beat up by racists- that was bound to happen if you go to a National Front meeting (I assume from your context). Going to cheerleading? Well, if we all expected to be raped, no one would go to that either.
Personally, what I'm gonna get from this, don't be young, attractive, and live in Texas.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 02:05 pm (UTC)More to the point BEING A CHEERLEADER DIDN'T CAUSE THE RAPE, THE RAPIST BEING A RAPIST CAUSED THE RAPE.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 04:07 pm (UTC)her behaviour is not inconsistent with someone who has been traumatised, but has to go on living with/near her abuser.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 01:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 07:51 pm (UTC)This is part of the remaining 10%. The details make it worse. Much, much worse.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-10 11:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-11 12:43 pm (UTC)but mighty fine at guessing what'll get us to buy the next paper or 'make' us watch the next episode to find out what happens next.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-05-11 05:45 am (UTC)