Cheerleader who wouldn't root for assailant loses

[batgirl218]

(05-02) 17:12 PDT WASHINGTON -- A Texas high school cheerleader who was kicked off the squad for refusing to chant the name of a basketball player - the same athlete she said had raped her four months earlier - lost a U.S. Supreme Court appeal Monday.

A federal appeals court ruled in September that the cheerleader was speaking for the school, not herself, and had no right to remain silent when called on to cheer the athlete by name.

The Supreme Court denied review of the case Monday without comment.

The girl, identified by her initials H.S., was 16 when she said she was raped at a party in her southeast Texas hometown of Silsbee in October 2008. She identified the assailant as Rakheem Bolton, a star on the Silsbee High School football team.

Bolton ultimately pleaded guilty in September 2010 to a misdemeanor assault charge and received a suspended sentence.

At a February 2009 basketball game in Huntsville, Texas, H.S. joined in leading cheers for the Silsbee team, which included Bolton. But when Bolton went to the foul line to shoot a free throw, H.S. folded her arms and was silent.

H.S. said the district superintendent, his assistant and the school principal told her she had to cheer for Bolton or go home. She refused and was dismissed from the squad.

H.S., joined by her parents, sued school officials and the district. They claimed the school had punished her for exercising her right of free expression.

An appeals court in New Orleans ruled against her, saying a cheerleader acts as a "mouthpiece" for the school.

Federal courts have also ordered H.S. and her parents to reimburse the district more than $45,000 for the costs of defending against a frivolous suit.

The family's lawyer, Laurence Watts, said the ruling means students who try to exercise their right of free speech can be punished for refusing to follow "insensitive and unreasonable directions."

[wubders]

sad situation, and obviously if they let him play, she should be able to cheer......although it is surprising she was..

but they were going to choose the rapist athlete over her......sure all of his backers are calling her a lyin little bitch, too


if the world were right, he should be tied up while she repeatedly kicks him in the balls till she feels better, which could take a decade or more

[Moab]

Texas, loves it's high school sports. I guess raping a 16 year old cheer leader by a star basketball player is a sport.

[maverick35]

Old Mav realizes exactly old Mav gota admit Moab and so it all sounds stupid butt then did they win the game did the A Hole make the free throw whut a petty thing to kick the cheer leader off the team over right RIGHT and so whut kind of cry baby sissy is he if he can no not make a free throw with out the proper cheering right RIGHT and so the Packers won the Super bowl 2011 and so they no not have a cheer leader squad right RIGHT and so they beter hope old Mav no not geta the miracle old Mav needs before it is too late for old Mav and so they may lose a lota more than a basketball game and so miss a free throw right RIGHT and so luckily for old Mav they do no not take old Mav seriously and so old Mav needs a miracle sorry right... sorry old Mav