7 High School Students Arrested After Alleged Sexual Assault

Courtsey of Hattiseburg American and Clarion Ledger/April 6,2007
By Royce Armstrong
Student horseplay on the back of a bus got out of hand, resulting in the arrest of seven George County High School students and leaving a 16-year-old in a psychologist's care.
"Those boys violated my son," the victim's mother said Thursday. "But the school has also violated him by not taking any action."
The Hattiesburg American and The Clarion-Ledger do not identify victims of sexual crimes. The incident took place on a bus returning home from a baseball game on March 22.
One student was pulled down to the floor of the bus and held down by others while his slacks and boxers were pulled down. In the process, his mouth was covered so he could not yell for help and his clothes were torn.
He struggled to stop the incident. His private parts were allegedly photographed with cell phone cameras, and those images later circulated around the school.
"The school is covering it up because one of the players involved is their 'golden boy,' " the alleged victim's mother said. "He has already received scholarships and they cannot understand why we don't just let this go. I don't think they are going to do anything about this until after the baseball season is over."
School officials could not be reached for comment Thursday. The alleged victim did not tell his parents about the incident until the following day, the mother said. The parents immediately contacted school officials and met with the baseball coaches on March 24.
By March 31, the parents had not heard back from the school. The lack of action infuriated them.
They then filed charges to have the seven players involved arrested. All seven were charged and released to the custody of their parents.
The Sheriff's Department would not say what the charges are. Five of the students are under 18 years old, while the other two are 18 and 19. None of the students is being charged as an adult.
"Those students have not missed a class or a baseball game," the mother said. "And my son is not able to go to school. He was on the prom committee, and he will not be able to go to the prom because he is afraid.
"The school is calling this a hazing. It's not. It is an assault," the mother said. "It stopped being a hazing when he stopped being a willing participant."