Maryland high school football players accused of raping teammates with broom

[demmiblue]

Source: NBC News

Four 15-year-old Maryland high school football players charged as adults with rape for sexually assaulting four teammates with a broom during a hazing incident have been released on bond.

Three of the Damascus High School athletes, who NBC News is not identifying, were charged with two counts of first-degree rape and two counts of attempted rape, according to District Court of Maryland documents. One of the athletes was charged with four counts of first-degree rape.

All four junior varsity athletes are charged with conspiracy to commit rape.

The students were each released Tuesday on $20,000 bond, according to court records.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/four-maryland-high-school-football-players-accused-raping-teammates-n941126?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma

[sarge43]

1. Should have been charged with attempted murder.

They could have killed the victims.

[niyad]

2. TRADITION????? TRADITION?????? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THAT SCHOOL??????

and what the fuck is wrong with all of the parents, the school, everything. . . .

[Initech]

3. WTF is wrong with people right now?

This is seriously disgusting, and I hope they all get locked up for a long time.

[Stuart G]

4. I am guessing, and I don't know nothing...saying that ahead of time, but my guess is

they got the idea to do this, because it was done to them as part of the initiation to the football team. If, that is correct, that it was done to them, then it will come out in the trial. Clearly those that did this, thought that they could get away with it.

[TexasBushwhacker]

6. I'm guessing coaches know about the tradition too n/t

[Stuart G]

7. If they do, and I think you are correct..then I think the coach who knows is in line for indictment.

The origin of this will come out in the investigation and trial. And it will not be pretty at all. If indeed the coach knew, then he will go to trial as an accessory. It will get much worse.

[lark]

5. What the holy hell!

They should be charged with attempted manslaughter and have bail at least 5x higher. Bet the ones attacked weren't white, and if so hate crimes should also be charged. I am so freaking sick of guys, especially athletes, getting away with murder because RWers value white male children and not any female children. They need to get the book thrown at them so parents will start to realize they are failing their sons and MUST raise them to respect girls or their sons will have their lives ruined (not to mention the girls which the parents obviously don't care about to begin with).

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. The town of Damascus is about 90% white, so I wouldn't necessarily assume

there is a racial aspect to this without knowing more. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus,_Maryland It's a terrible crime no matter who did it or to whom.

[lark]

9. True, I shouldn't just jump to conclusions, but have seen this scenario so often that's what I did.

You are right, whether race was involved or not, it was totally heinous and unforgivable. Hope those young men not only get convicted, but rot in jail for a really long time because otherwise they will have learned that hurting others for your own fun is not a terrible thing.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

15. A bit of googling revealed that Damascus High School has been nationally-known

for years for its championship sports teams. I suspect that these incidents may have been the product of a culture of (male) sports supremacy in an affluent, mostly-white suburb where athletes are worshipped, and the athletes express their "superiority" by hazing (if you can even call this criminal behavior hazing) younger kids. If this is a "tradition," you can be damn sure some coaches and teachers knew about it.

[left-of-center2012]

10. Happened in New Mexico too

There have been several incidents here over the past years.

In one case the victim had to have part of his intestines removed,
and has to wear a colostomy bag to 'poop' in
the rest of his life.

[demmiblue]

12. I vaguely remember that.

Sexual abuse (in the guise of hazing) of males is not given the attention it deserves. Heck, hazing in general is often hidden/dismissed as 'boys will be boys'.

Patriarchal attitudes hurt our boys, too.

[bluestarone]

11. What the hell?

What is the problem with people in this country???? The America i have known has sure changed!!!!!

[Solly Mack]

13. Then said "tradition" has been known about before now - meaning the many coaches, principals

and teachers over the years had to know or had to have heard about it before now - because rumor and word of mouth get around a high school faster than anything else.


The entire school administration needs to be investigated - past and present. All the coaches, all the teachers, every principal and asst. principal.

Find out if any parents knew - investigate the alumni.

Find past victims - again, the alumni.

Rape as a "tradition" ?

Seriously sick, WTF, people?

I'm boiling mad and beyond disgusted.

[VA_Jill]

14. This also happened in Tennessee

Down near Chattanooga. It ended with the firing of a couple of coaches and the demotion of an assistant principal, IIRC, as well as some boys being remanded to the juvenile system where they will be held until they are 19. A lot of folks felt they should be prosecuted as adults, particularly since the victim suffered a ruptured colon and bladder, but the courts were (too) lenient, possibly because the boys wouldn't testify against each other.

[marble falls]

16. The team symbol ...

[MineralMan]

17. I'm glad I was a band geek, then instead of a jock.

My initiation as a new freshman in high school band consisted of a senior giving me weekly lessons on the clarinet to help me get up to speed on the more difficult music we would be playing. She was very nice to me, and never once tried to stick a broomstick up my anything.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

18. What the ever lovin' fuck is that all about?

I have no words............

[Vinca]

19. They're lucky one of the victims didn't suffer damage that ended in death.

How can some kids be so freaking stupid and inhumane?

[Codeine]

20. My teammates on the Academic Decathlon team

and the D&D Club may not have been “The Cool Kids”, but we sure as fuck weren’t spending our evenings forcing things into unwilling assholes for fun.

[forgotmylogin]

21. My question is why wasn't a school locker room containing minors being supervised by an adult?

The victims and perpetrators were either left to their own devices when this assault happened (which means a legal guardian is in trouble), or it happened with the knowledge of the legal guardians - coaches or gym supervisors - who were supposed to protect them (which means a legal guardian is in real trouble).

You can't just leave underclassmen (who can be at an adolescent level of development) in a vulnerable clothes-changing situation with upperclassmen (who can be stronger than some adults, especially if they are football players). Bullying will happen.

When I was in high school, there was always a gym teacher or somebody in the office - not necessarily watching us, but usually making phone calls and doing paperwork and grades, and available for questions. At the minimum, they were in earshot if someone would have slipped and fell, injured themselves, or yelled for help. If yelling and (normal) horseplay got loud in the locker rows or the shower, they would show up in less than a minute to make everyone quiet down. Screams of pain or fear would not have gone unchecked.

The worst that ever happened in four years of gym class were the usual towel-snapping fights.

[LisaL]

22. You should be able to leave 15 year old without adult supervision.

They are being charged as adults, by the way.
So it's kind of hard to argue they shouldn't have ever been left without adult supervision.

[forgotmylogin]

24. A fifteen year old can take care of themselves, yes.

But in a locker room with potential bullies in a situation where they will be naked?

They need supervision. This kind of proves that.

[iamthebandfanman]

23. what the fuck

is wrong with people. Jesus Christ.