Silsbee High School
| Silsbee High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
1575 Hwy 96 North Silsbee, Texas, Hardin County, 77656 United States | |
| Coordinates | 30°20′38″N 94°09′11″W / 30.344°N 94.153°WCoordinates: 30°20′38″N 94°09′11″W / 30.344°N 94.153°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Opened | 2000 |
| School district | Silsbee Independent School District |
| Principal | Eldon Franco |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Color(s) | Maroon, White |
| Mascot | Tiger |
| Website | |
Silsbee High School is a public high school in Silsbee, Hardin County, Texas. It is the only high school in the Silsbee Independent School District. Their mascot is the Tiger.
Controversy
The school and the school district have been criticized for expelling a cheerleader from the school's cheerleading squad because of her refusal to cheer for a basketball player, Rakheem Bolton,[1] who pled guilty to sexually assaulting her. The charges were dropped down to assault a year later and Bolton was given probation. School officials also encouraged the rape victim to "keep a low profile" and avoid the school cafeteria.[1]
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in November 2010 that the victim — who is identified only as H.S. — had no right to refuse to applaud her attacker, because as a cheerleader in uniform, she was an agent of the school. The Fifth Circuit dismissed her case as "frivolous" and sanctioned the girl, ordering her family to pay the school district's $35,000–45,000 legal fees.[2][3][4] A later judgment ruled that one of the claims was not frivolous and ordered the amount owed recalculated based on this finding.[5] The Supreme Court declined to review the case. As of June 2011, Change.org and Ms. Magazine were promoting journalist Scott Rose's proposal that individuals to send the district superintendent one penny each, accompanied by notes protesting the district's decision if it did not waive its right to payment.[1][6]
Notable alumni and faculty
- William Graham (American football) - played safety for six seasons for the Detroit Lions
- H. Palmer Hall - poet, author, editor and librarian who taught two years at Silsbee
- Mark Henry - Olympic weightlifter and professional wrestler
- James Hunter (American football) - played seven seasons as a defensive back for the Detroit Lions
- Brandi McCain - basketball player, played one season with the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Change.org. "Tell Silsbee HS: don't make victim pay $35,000 for refusal to cheer rapist."
- ↑ Heldman, Caroline (October 15, 2010). "Cheerleader Required to Cheer for Man Who Assaulted Her". Ms Magazine blog. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ↑ Heller, Matthew (September 29, 2010). "Court's Ruling in Failure-to-Cheer Case Deserves Boos". On Point News. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ↑ Roberts, Selena (November 8, 2010). "High School Dissonance". Sports Illustrated 113 (17). Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ↑ "Ex-Cheerleader Gets A Break In Lawsuit Against Texas School District". Kwtx.com. 2011-09-12. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
- ↑ Scott Rose. "A challenge to the superintendent in the Texas cheerleader assault case," May 7, 2011.