White high school football players in Idaho charged with raping black, disabled teammate with a coat hanger

Washington Post wrote:When a teammate held out his arms after football practice in their high school locker-room, the boy thought he was about to get a hug.

Instead, he got viciously raped, authorities say.

As the teammate restrained the boy, another football player allegedly thrust a coat hanger into the boy’s rectum. Then a third teammate kicked the coat hanger several times, according to a criminal complaint.

The Oct. 23, 2015 incident has rocked the tiny town of Dietrich, Idaho. This spring, after several months of investigation, the state Attorney General’s office filed sexual assault charges against all three alleged attackers. Two of the teenagers are being charged as adults and could face life in prison, under Idaho law.

Earlier this month, the case took an even darker turn when the boy’s family filed a $10 million lawsuit against Dietrich High School.

According to the lawsuit, the alleged rape wasn’t a one-off but rather the culmination of months of racist abuse by white students against the boy, who is black.

The boy “was taunted and called racist names by other members of the team which names included ‘Kool-Aid’ ‘chicken eater’ ‘watermelon’ and [the N-word],” the suit alleges.

The civil complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Idaho also claims that one of the students charged with sexual assault displayed a Confederate flag and demanded the boy recite a racist song titled “Notorious KKK.”

All three of the boy’s attackers were white, the suit says.

The suit, which names the 18-year-old boy, was provided to The Washington Post by his attorney. However, The Post generally does not name victims of sexual assault.

In addition to Dietrich High School, the lawsuit also names 11 employees as defendants. It claims school administrators and coaches did nothing to stop the racial and physical abuse towards the boy, who was especially vulnerable due to “mental disorders including learning disabilities.”

The suit even claims that Dietrich football coaches encouraged other players to fight the boy, allowing a much larger student to knock the boy unconscious as other students shouted “catcalls, taunts and racial epithets.”

Dietrich High School did not respond to a request for comment.

Against the alleged backdrop of widespread racial abuse at Dietrich, one individual stands out: John R.K. Howard.

Howard, 18, is one of the three students accused of sexually assaulting the boy with the coat hanger. He is charged as an adult with one count of forcible penetration by use of force or a foreign object, according to the criminal complaint.

The lawsuit paints Howard as the ringleader of the racist abuse against the boy, who was adopted at age four by white parents living in the predominantly white town of 334 people.

“Mr. Howard is a large and aggressive male who had been sent to live with his relatives in Idaho due to his inability to keep out of trouble in Texas,” the complaint says. “Mr. Howard is a relative of prominent individuals in the community and, at least in part due to his athletic ability and community connections, the Defendants ignored or were deliberately indifferent to the behavior of Mr. Howard which included aggression, taunting and bullying of The Plaintiff and other students in the District. With deliberate indifference, the Defendants did nothing to curb the vicious acts of Mr. Howard who brought with him from Texas a culture of racial hatred towards the Plaintiff.”

The boy, one of the few black students at Dietrich let alone his football team, was subjected to frequent abuse by Howard and his fellow teammates, including “aggressive ‘humping’, jumping on him from the back and simulating anal sex,” according to the suit. His fellow football players allegedly gave him painful wedgies, stripped him of his clothes and took naked photos of him in the locker-room. One student drew a picture of the boy sitting in the back of the bus on a classroom chalkboard.

It was Howard, however, who was allegedly behind the worst abuse.

It was Howard who allegedly forced the boy to recite the words to “Notorious KKK,” a bitterly racist and violent rap song set to the tune of Notorious B.I.G.’s “Can’t You See,” the suit alleges.

It was Howard who, with his bare fists, allegedly knocked out the boy, who was made to wear boxing gloves, as teammates and coaches formed a circle around them.

And it was Howard who allegedly kicked the coat hanger five or six times, causing the boy “rectal injuries” that required hospital treatment, the lawsuit claims.

Another player, 17-year-old wide receiver Tanner Ward, has been also been charged as an adult with forcible penetration, according to local news website MagicValley.com. According to the lawsuit, Ward, “physically forced a coat hanger into the Plaintiff’s rectum” before Howard kicked it.

Facebook photos show Ward participating in cowboy competitions. A quick-footed wide receiver, he has his own web page on hudl.com devoted to highlights of his football prowess.

A lawyer representing Ward did not return requests for comment.

A third football player, age 16, has been charged as a juvenile. His name has not been released.

Last month, during a preliminary hearing in the case against Ward, the boy testified how he had been tricked with kindness moments before the cruel attack.

The boy said Howard and Ward started harassing him before practice on Oct. 22, giving him a “power wedgie” so violent it tore his boxers.

That was nothing compared to what would come after practice, however.

When the third teammate asked the boy for a hug, the boy agreed, only for the teammate to restrain him and signal for the others to attack, the boy said.

“I screamed,” he testified, according to MagicValley.com. “I was pretty upset. I felt really bad. A little bit betrayed and confused at the same time. It was terrible — a pain I’ve never felt.”

Ward’s attorney argued that the boy’s testimony conflicted with that of another witness, but Judge Mark Ingram allowed the case to continue. Ward’s trial is scheduled to begin on September 26. The Lincoln County Clerk’s Office could not say Tuesday whether he had filed a plea.

Howard, who is finishing high school in Texas, has a preliminary hearing set for June 10 and has not yet entered a plea.

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Original Quill wrote:

Washington Post wrote:When a teammate held out his arms after football practice in their high school locker-room, the boy thought he was about to get a hug.

Instead, he got viciously raped, authorities say.

As the teammate restrained the boy, another football player allegedly thrust a coat hanger into the boy’s rectum. Then a third teammate kicked the coat hanger several times, according to a criminal complaint.

The Oct. 23, 2015 incident has rocked the tiny town of Dietrich, Idaho. This spring, after several months of investigation, the state Attorney General’s office filed sexual assault charges against all three alleged attackers.  Two of the teenagers are being charged as adults and could face life in prison, under Idaho law.

Earlier this month, the case took an even darker turn when the boy’s family filed a $10 million lawsuit against Dietrich High School.

According to the lawsuit, the alleged rape wasn’t a one-off but rather the culmination of months of racist abuse by white students against the boy, who is black.

The boy “was taunted and called racist names by other members of the team which names included ‘Kool-Aid’ ‘chicken eater’ ‘watermelon’ and [the N-word],” the suit alleges.

The civil complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Idaho also claims that one of the students charged with sexual assault displayed a Confederate flag and demanded the boy recite a racist song titled “Notorious KKK.”

All three of the boy’s attackers were white, the suit says.

The suit, which names the 18-year-old boy, was provided to The Washington Post by his attorney. However, The Post generally does not name victims of sexual assault.

In addition to Dietrich High School, the lawsuit also names 11 employees as defendants. It claims school administrators and coaches did nothing to stop the racial and physical abuse towards the boy, who was especially vulnerable due to “mental disorders including learning disabilities.”

The suit even claims that Dietrich football coaches encouraged other players to fight the boy, allowing a much larger student to knock the boy unconscious as other students shouted “catcalls, taunts and racial epithets.”

Dietrich High School did not respond to a request for comment.

Against the alleged backdrop of widespread racial abuse at Dietrich, one individual stands out: John R.K. Howard.

Howard, 18, is one of the three students accused of sexually assaulting the boy with the coat hanger. He is charged as an adult with one count of forcible penetration by use of force or a foreign object, according to the criminal complaint.

The lawsuit paints Howard as the ringleader of the racist abuse against the boy, who was adopted at age four by white parents living in the predominantly white town of 334 people.

“Mr. Howard is a large and aggressive male who had been sent to live with his relatives in Idaho due to his inability to keep out of trouble in Texas,” the complaint says. “Mr. Howard is a relative of prominent individuals in the community and, at least in part due to his athletic ability and community connections, the Defendants ignored or were deliberately indifferent to the behavior of Mr. Howard which included aggression, taunting and bullying of The Plaintiff and other students in the District. With deliberate indifference, the Defendants did nothing to curb the vicious acts of Mr. Howard who brought with him from Texas a culture of racial hatred towards the Plaintiff.”

The boy, one of the few black students at Dietrich let alone his football team, was subjected to frequent abuse by Howard and his fellow teammates, including “aggressive ‘humping’, jumping on him from the back and simulating anal sex,” according to the suit. His fellow football players allegedly gave him painful wedgies, stripped him of his clothes and took naked photos of him in the locker-room. One student drew a picture of the boy sitting in the back of the bus on a classroom chalkboard.

It was Howard, however, who was allegedly behind the worst abuse.

It was Howard who allegedly forced the boy to recite the words to “Notorious KKK,” a bitterly racist and violent rap song set to the tune of Notorious B.I.G.’s “Can’t You See,” the suit alleges.

It was Howard who, with his bare fists, allegedly knocked out the boy, who was made to wear boxing gloves, as teammates and coaches formed a circle around them.

And it was Howard who allegedly kicked the coat hanger five or six times, causing the boy “rectal injuries” that required hospital treatment, the lawsuit claims.

Another player, 17-year-old wide receiver Tanner Ward, has been also been charged as an adult with forcible penetration, according to local news website MagicValley.com. According to the lawsuit, Ward, “physically forced a coat hanger into the Plaintiff’s rectum” before Howard kicked it.

Facebook photos show Ward participating in cowboy competitions. A quick-footed wide receiver, he has his own web page on hudl.com devoted to highlights of his football prowess.

A lawyer representing Ward did not return requests for comment.

A third football player, age 16, has been charged as a juvenile. His name has not been released.

Last month, during a preliminary hearing in the case against Ward, the boy testified how he had been tricked with kindness moments before the cruel attack.

The boy said Howard and Ward started harassing him before practice on Oct. 22, giving him a “power wedgie” so violent it tore his boxers.

That was nothing compared to what would come after practice, however.

When the third teammate asked the boy for a hug, the boy agreed, only for the teammate to restrain him and signal for the others to attack, the boy said.

“I screamed,” he testified, according to MagicValley.com. “I was pretty upset. I felt really bad. A little bit betrayed and confused at the same time. It was terrible — a pain I’ve never felt.”

Ward’s attorney argued that the boy’s testimony conflicted with that of another witness, but Judge Mark Ingram allowed the case to continue. Ward’s trial is scheduled to begin on September 26. The Lincoln County Clerk’s Office could not say Tuesday whether he had filed a plea.

Howard, who is finishing high school in Texas, has a preliminary hearing set for June 10 and has not yet entered a plea.

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Just on the other side of the border from Logan, UT.  Mormons behaving badly.

Raggamuffin wrote:Are these boys Mormons then? It doesn't say they are. Also, it doesn't mean that all Mormons behave badly. When a Muslim does something wrong, do you say - "Muslims behaving badly"?

Paul Ettinger wrote:Interesting points Quill and I think all religions based on the abrahamic methodology teach a religious racism. What I will be interested to see if any of the lefties on here though defend against your views against Mormonism. Or is this acceptable, because it is not Islam?

Just saying

Original Quill wrote:

Paul Ettinger wrote:Interesting points Quill and I think all religions based on the abrahamic methodology teach a religious racism. What I will be interested to see if any of the lefties on here though defend against your views against Mormonism. Or is this acceptable, because it is not Islam?

Just saying

Yes, there is a strong tendency toward exclusivity with such religions.

The left in American looks with disfavor on anyone who criticizes any religion, the core belief being that freedom of religion means people may believe what they want.  My view of the LDS is often met with shock from the left, because of this.  But when we get deeper into the subject, people learn that Mormonism isn't just a religion, but a whole, insular community, with political, social and racial beliefs apart from religion.  You have only to look at the three states situated on the western slope of the Rockies, to see it's not just a religious belief, but a whole lifestyle.

And are Arizona, Utah and Idaho conservative?  Does a bear crap in the woods?

didge wrote:Mormonism is a religion, no matter how much you try to say otherwise as it ticks all the boxes as a religion..

Original Quill wrote:

didge wrote:Mormonism is a religion, no matter how much you try to say otherwise as it ticks all the boxes as a religion..

So does Hari Krishna and Scientology.  So do many cults.  The problem is, they are so much more than that.  There is no central authority of legitimate (as opposed to illegitimate) religions.

The LDS are highly insular, making them a separate community, with a separate moral code.  Many--particularly the FLDS--still practice polygamy and paedophilia.  I know a sheriff just north of Salt Lake City who has two wives (last count).

Yes, it's ok to criticize Mormonism.  It's also ok to criticize the KKK.  Both are groups, with a degree of religious affiliation, but with so much more.

eddie wrote:Quill, if that boy had been killed by Muslims would you have out this story up?

If the boy had been white, and the perpetrators black, would you have put this story up?

Altogether now:

Oh no he wouldn't!!!

Bullying - Peer Pressure + Jocks - Coaching Staff participation - or turning a blind eye; and this racial/sexual abusive/deviant behavior happened on the campus ---

It was Howard who, with his bare fists, allegedly knocked out the boy, who was made to wear boxing gloves, as teammates and coaches formed a circle around them.

Ellsworth County to press charges against Great Bend teenagers in school bus incident
[url=https://www.hutchnews.com/users/profile/Mary Clarkin]By Mary Clarkin The HutchinsonNews [/url] Apr 7, 2016
ELLSWORTH – Two members of the Great Bend High School boys swim team will face charges of battery for behavior aboard a school bus as it traveled back Feb. 6 in Manhattan. Arrest warrants will not be issued, and the boys will be allowed to surrender themselves at the Ellsworth County Courthouse in the company of their attorneys, said the press release Thursday afternoon from Ellsworth County Attorney Joe Shepack.

The names of the two boys were not released.
The release said Shepack “will be alleging and proving” that each of the accused did “unlawfully, willfully, and intentionally cause physical contact with the person of L.O., doing so in a rude manner,” and that it was a Class “B” person misdemeanor if said crime was perpetrated by an adult.

Logan O’Neil was the Great Bend High freshman who reported the incident to authorities. Subsequently, another student reported a Feb. 3 incident aboard a bus carrying the team back from Salina. No charges have been filed yet in Barton County in that case.

Shepack’s release said when the two juveniles have appeared in the Ellsworth County District Court and have been served with the complaints, he will release their names as well as copies of the charges.

Shepack praised the investigative efforts by Ellsworth County Sheriff Tracy Ploutz and criticized the rumor-mongering. The voluminous police report compiled largely by Ploutz but with assistance from law enforcement in Saline County, Barton County and Great Bend, consisted of 175-plus pages and included handwritten statements and CD/DVDs of interviews.

Shepack said there appeared to be 25 people aboard the bus and Ploutz obtained or attempted to obtain statements from almost all of them. “In addition, Sheriff Ploutz obtained, via search warrants, records of cell phone communications and texts relating to behavior” on the bus, the release said.

In the release, Shepack wrote:
“Of the twenty-five persons aboard the Great Bend school bus, fourteen, per their own words, heard or saw nothing. Two more refused to talk with the Sheriff. From the accounts given by the nine people who heard or saw something, the Ellsworth County Attorney will be alleging, in the context of juvenile offender complaints, that an episode of teenage male athlete horseplay progressed (or degenerated) into several incidents of battery upon a 14 year old, 5’3”, 105 lb. Great Bend High School student-athlete.”

Shepack referred to “the incredible rumor phenomenon concerning the events on the Great Bend school bus.  Some rumors, bandied about on social media, state/suggest that younger boys were raped and/or sodomized on the Great Bend school bus on February 6, 2016. Said bus contained twenty-five persons, both male and female. Reasonable people would think that if such events were occurring, then the adults and/or older teenagers on the bus would have intervened,” the release said.

Shepack underlined that it is “not clear” in what county or counties the battery incidents occurred. In this case, the bus ride started in Riley County and passed through Geary, Dickinson, Saline, Lincoln and Ellsworth counties before reaching Barton County.

“However, as the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office was asked to work the case, venue may as well be in Ellsworth County,” he wrote.
http://www.hutchnews.com/news/local_state_news/ellsworth-county-to-press-charges-against-great-bend-teenagers-in/article_0737c204-0561-5f75-a92a-074f5268a924.html