High School Cheerleaders in Katy Indicted for Hazing
source: http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7900705&version=5&locale=EN-US...
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KATY, Texas -- Seven teenage girls who attend high school in Katy face indictments of hazing fellow cheerleaders in an off-campus incident.
A Harris County grand jury indicted the Morton Ranch High School varsity cheerleaders on misdemeanor charges Wednesday morning. The students are accused of hazing junior varsity cheerleaders on July 25.
The accused girls restrained several of the younger cheerleaders, blindfolded them, bound their hands and pushed them into a swimming pool, according to the indictment.
"She's a very sweet and an all-around Texas girl," said Robert Fickman, attorney for one of the indicted squad members. "She's active in the FFA. She loves being the school mascot. She never meant for any of the JV girls to be harmed, and she wishes all of them well."
The varsity cheerleaders "engaged in reckless conduct that endangered the mental and physical health and safety of junior varsity cheerleaders," according to charges filed against them.
If convicted of the Class B Misdemeanor, the teenage girls can face punishment ranging from probation and community service, up to a maximum of six months in jail and fine of $2,000.
Katy Independent School District police started the investigation. In a prepared statement issued Wednesday, the district stated:
This has been a very difficult time for the students and families involved and we are eager to see that this matter is appropriately resolved so that all students at Morton Ranch High School may continue on with the remainder of their school year without further distraction.
Based on information gathered during the investigation, the district believes that it took the appropriate steps in reporting this incident to the Harris County District Attorney’s office, as well as the suspension of all varsity cheerleading activities at Morton Ranch High school for the 2008-09 school year. Whatever legal action that is taken next is in the hands of the court system.
The cases against the seven girls are believed to be the first of their kind filed in Harris County under the Texas anti-hazing law enacted in 1995.
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At the link there is a video.
Also more links on the story:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6121075.html
http://www.fortbendnow.com/pages/full_story?page_label=home&id=692784-Morton...
http://www.click2houston.com/news/18016302/detail.html
http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/houston/stories/khou081119_tnt_katy-c...
Picture From Houston Chronicle
I think that if these were boys and it were a football team it would be a totally different story. But because it was girls and it's cheerleaders it's worse. According to more information the girls were bound and tossed in but they also have someone who jumped in with them who was their big sister on the team. It's like, to me, scaring people by saying boo but it's a bit more scarier. I understand that in hindsight they know it was wrong and they should have done something less forceful. But the punishments are far too much. Their joke/haze was poor choice but not deadly and the "it could have been" is meaningless when they didn't have such malicious intent to begin with. To ruin their adult lives because of this (as they see it) joke is retarded. To make an example of them because they are in a rich part of town is also retarded.
A Harris County grand jury indicted the Morton Ranch High School varsity cheerleaders on misdemeanor charges Wednesday morning. The students are accused of hazing junior varsity cheerleaders on July 25.
The accused girls restrained several of the younger cheerleaders, blindfolded them, bound their hands and pushed them into a swimming pool, according to the indictment.
"She's a very sweet and an all-around Texas girl," said Robert Fickman, attorney for one of the indicted squad members. "She's active in the FFA. She loves being the school mascot. She never meant for any of the JV girls to be harmed, and she wishes all of them well."
The varsity cheerleaders "engaged in reckless conduct that endangered the mental and physical health and safety of junior varsity cheerleaders," according to charges filed against them.
If convicted of the Class B Misdemeanor, the teenage girls can face punishment ranging from probation and community service, up to a maximum of six months in jail and fine of $2,000.
Katy Independent School District police started the investigation. In a prepared statement issued Wednesday, the district stated:
This has been a very difficult time for the students and families involved and we are eager to see that this matter is appropriately resolved so that all students at Morton Ranch High School may continue on with the remainder of their school year without further distraction.
Based on information gathered during the investigation, the district believes that it took the appropriate steps in reporting this incident to the Harris County District Attorney’s office, as well as the suspension of all varsity cheerleading activities at Morton Ranch High school for the 2008-09 school year. Whatever legal action that is taken next is in the hands of the court system.
The cases against the seven girls are believed to be the first of their kind filed in Harris County under the Texas anti-hazing law enacted in 1995.
------
At the link there is a video.
Also more links on the story:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6121075.html
http://www.fortbendnow.com/pages/full_story?page_label=home&id=692784-Morton...
http://www.click2houston.com/news/18016302/detail.html
http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/houston/stories/khou081119_tnt_katy-c...
Picture From Houston Chronicle
I think that if these were boys and it were a football team it would be a totally different story. But because it was girls and it's cheerleaders it's worse. According to more information the girls were bound and tossed in but they also have someone who jumped in with them who was their big sister on the team. It's like, to me, scaring people by saying boo but it's a bit more scarier. I understand that in hindsight they know it was wrong and they should have done something less forceful. But the punishments are far too much. Their joke/haze was poor choice but not deadly and the "it could have been" is meaningless when they didn't have such malicious intent to begin with. To ruin their adult lives because of this (as they see it) joke is retarded. To make an example of them because they are in a rich part of town is also retarded.
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arcticspirit
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Girl on girl violence can be extremely cruel. And that's an understatement.
No one should ever be put in actual danger during a hazing. - 3 years ago
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arcticspirit
