Dietrich, Idaho high school officials released a thorough investigation suggesting that white football players raped a mentally ill Black teen in a disturbing Oct. 22, 2015 incident.
The investigation’s findings, witness statements and court documents were released to the public Thursday, Sept. 29.
According to Idaho’s KTVB 7 News, Superintendent Benjamin Hardcastle and Principal Stephanie Shaw conducted 30 interviews with the high school’s students, parents and coaches. Their investigation also involved a meticulous review of surveillance camera footage located outside the locker room where the incident occurred.
The victim, 18-year-old Antwon McDaniel, said he was harassed prior to the incident. McDaniel was allegedly called “n—-,” “Kool-Aid,” ”watermelon” and “chicken eater.” The investigation also reveals that bullies pulled his underwear, subjected him to racial taunts and constantly demoralized him.
Court documents revealed that 18-year-old John R.K. Howard, 17-year-old Tanner Ward and an unnamed third student raped the student as a prank. The unnamed student tried to the hug the teen, but it was a ruse. He held the victim while Howard inserted a hanger inside of the mentally ill teen. Then, Ward kicked the hanger.
KTVB 7 News reports that one of the boys commanded the others to stop. But that student was threatened with the same type of punishment.
Days after the incident, school officials started their investigation after the teen’s mother told the school about the assault.
“We found evidence of misconduct among students that include sexual harassment, bullying behavior and sexual assault,” Hardcastle stated. “We do not look at it as something that is bearing on the outcome of the case.”
The investigation found that one of the teammates:
▪ More likely than not “kicked the hanger multiple times, either embedding it into the rectum of (victim), or embedding it further.”
▪ More likely than not, the teammate who kicked the hanger “on other occasions … has ‘dry humped’ or simulated having anal sex with younger players.”
▪ “It is possible but not certain that, before practice on Oct. 22, (the player who kicked the hanger) pushed (the victim) into the corner of the bathroom on the Junior High School side of the locker room, after his underwear had been ripped, and simulated having sex with him.”
Howard is due back in court Oct. 22. He could face a life sentence and $50,000 in fines, per US Uncut