A North Dakota high school has been rocked by a sexual assault scandal involving several male students, the West Fargo Pioneer reports.
On Friday, a chilling report was released detailing allegations of an ongoing male “rape game” that left many victims with “holes in their underwear”.
Related: Sleepy Texas town rocked with disturbing football hazing scandal
One attack involved an athlete who said his teammates pinned him down and stuck their fingers up his butt. When his parents reported the abuse to the assistant coach, it was never brought up with the athletic director, principal, or superintendent.
Another attacked involved a student who said he was “screaming” while being “trapped, chased and caught and assaulted” by several other students during a musical rehearsal last fall. Despite the boy’s cries for help, teachers did not intervene.
Two other parents said their children were restrained and sodomized through their clothes during a field trip earlier this year. One instance involved a student being raped with a toothbrush. Again, no teachers or school officials stepped in to help.
And then there was the “rape game.”
According to West Fargo Pioneer:
Descriptions of this so-called “game” vary, but involve turning off the lights, typically in a locker room, running around and trying to stick fingers up others’ butts or poking them in the butt through clothes with fingers or objects.
Others described the “rape game” as sexual assault, sodomy or sexual harassment. The report says “there is not a consistent understanding of what the ‘rape game’ is, what behavior occurred or even what behavior has been reported.” But variations of the “rape game” have been occurring at the school since the 2015-2016 school year.
Investigators spoke to nearly 60 adults, including school board members, administrators, teachers, coaches, and parents, as well as several students.
“Some commented that ‘boys will be boys’,” the report states. “Others commented that ‘this kind of stuff’ is common and ‘happens all over the country’.”
West Fargo Pioneer reports:
The investigation resulted in five male students collectively facing 13 misdemeanor counts of hazing, 11 misdemeanor counts of sexual assault, nine felony counts of felonious restraint and one felony count of terrorizing. The boys charged were referred to juvenile court. All of the victims were male, authorities said.
In the wake of the allegations, several school officials have announced their departures from Richland 44, including the district’s athletic director, the principle, and superintendent.
Related: Lake Zurich High School football team hazing rituals allegedly included forced sex acts
1898
common and happens all over the country? uh no. its not and it doesnt. these people need to get a grip and figure out why their boys are raping each other
jcoberkrom
Well, what do you expect. North Dakota is Spanky country!!
crowebobby
Even if the parents can convinced themselves that it’s just boys being boys and not actually sexually driven. And even if they’re right. Is “bullying” this brutal and demeaning really less egregious than actual sexual assault? I’m pretty sure it’s only the parents of the bullies who see ii that way.
tnguy222
We had a similar game to this in my high school where boys would run around slapping the butts of other boys.
Man, ever did I grab some tightness in high school.
1898
grabbing a butt or slapping a butt is not “similar” to forcing a finger or toothbrush into someone’s rectum
shakes_head
I’m wondering what kind of sickos these adults are who are trying to normalize sexual assault. I don’t understand how you grow up thinking that this is what normal boys do.
Mr-DJ
The “But everybody’s doing it” excuse still doesn’t fly, does it … parents?
Troyfight
My dad worked at a high school 15 years ago…same kind of thing happened. It was with football players, and it was on a school bus during an away game, I think. They were trying to dominate a smaller, younger player. Stuff with his ass I can’t remember like fingers or objects, but I think it was fingers. The brave kid spoke up later, and the other players got in huge trouble, it got in the papers etc. ….funny how this stuff seems to happen the most with sports guys….
Stephen
4 on 1 there is no way to defend ones self. The bullying is being stupid or afraid enough to join in with bullies to bully, assaulting another student. The humiliation never goes away. It exists and I just get better at coping with the memory of being assaulted, sodomized, urinated inside, then having my cloth8ng stolen.
The absolute worse was going home to my parents and smelling like hell, looking hysterically upset, crying and being betrayed by my parents who said I was lying. They never saw sexual assault as possible between males. It’s not sex. It’s abuse of power. The watching three fellows I am sure think about it as well and with luck fear throughout their lives about being a part of it. There is no statute of limitations in Canada. I wrote to the rapist. 6 Page letter calling him out. But it took 20 years for me to wake up and call it what it was, is. We can manage the wound, in time it gets easier. Only thing is to stop is do not ever give up talking to someone until someone listens. Never stop trying. Fight the good fight. And when people show you who they are listen.
It was a neighbour. I was 9. It took 8 more years of being abused by all the kids on the street every time I walked down the street. Years of guilt based gossiped shame and guilt. The abuse was worse after it happened. At 17, I ran away and did not return for 21 years.
Polaro
Sorry for what you went through.
radiooutmike
Boys will be boys?
It’s odd that there is permissiveness in these activities as a “rite of passage”, while if this were a mixed sex group– it would be a crime. Or if it was just a consensual homosexual activity between teenagers– there would probably be intense moral outrage.
Dubr1988
Boys will be boys..I say that’s a horror trip..
russdog
Amazing how “straight” boys normalize homoerotic behavior while continuing to target gays for bullying and abuse. It seems there is some version of this phenomenon is every generation. Almost 50 years ago when I was in 3rd or 4th grade, the boys in my class had a game they designated “National Fruity Day” in which the goal was to run around and grab as many asses of other boys as possible. I did not participate. However, outside of that game, I was the class “sissy” and treated as such; bullied and attacked, ostracized, teased, urinated on, etc… They would encircle me and chant “sissy”. However, I never touched any of them nor grabbed their asses. They had more sexual contact with each other than I ever did. Some things never change.
AnnMargretFan
I grew up in a small town in northern California. It was a custom when I reached high school, it had been going on for years before I reached high school, and continues to go on today. All freshman boys were initiated by being “pantsed” by upper class men. Guys were dragged into the restrooms, no matter where they were on campus, and were stripped by the older guys. Some were allowed to leave their underwear on, others not so lucky were stripped completely naked, then forced out in the halls of our school with the adjoining doors blocked or locked. Guys had their pubes shaved, the heads of their penises covered by a black felt tip marker, or had everything imaginable shoved up their asses. Teachers watched it happen, and nothing was ever done about it. Weaker guys, and guys who appeared more feminine, were often attacked and abused more than once. Their pants and/or underwear were raised up the school flagpole, in the center of the school’s parking lot, for everyone to see. This went on the entire 4 years I was in school, to the point where some guys would actually quit school, or move to another school district. Sad times and memories for many young of these guys.
russdog
I suppose no one would dare suggest the perpetrators were anything other than “straight”.