Oklahoma schools have history of sexual assaults involving athletes

BIXBY, Okla. (KTUL) — Bixby police are now investigating multiple high school football players for sexual assault, but it’s not the first time we’ve seen something like this in Green Country. There’s a decades long history of these types of sexual assaults within sports teams in Oklahoma.

“Anytime you’re dealing with a minor and children with kids at the school, you’ve got to balance the rights of the minor with the public’s desire to know what’s going on,” said Kevin Adams, criminal defense attorney.

Adams said information can be scarce when it comes to sexual assault investigations at schools.

Oklahoma has seen its fair share of investigations.

• In 2001, almost a dozen high school football players at Webster were suspended for assaulting a kid with a broomstick.
• In 2010, seven Owasso football players were suspended after they paddled sophomore football players.
• In 2016, four high school wrestlers from Norman High School were charged with sexually assaulting two other wrestlers on a school bus.
  
  

“In my experience most district attorneys don’t offer those deals easily, they don’t offer those deals willingly,” said Adams.

He said even if charges are filed, verdicts and sentences vary.

For example, one student at Webster was found guilty of rape and was sentenced to probation and community service. At Norman, according to the Oklahoman, most of the charges were dismissed. However, one student did plead guilty to lesser misdemeanor charges.

“Ultimately, it’s what can they get a jury to do if you have a defendant that’s willing to try the case? There’s a lot of different factors,” said Adams.

Adams said there’s a lot of gray area when it comes to charging high school kids, mostly because their ages will vary.