Attorney speaks out on former Bixby football players taking lesser charge in assault case
BIXBY, Okla. (KTUL) -- The four former Bixby football players accused of raping a teammate take a lesser charge of assault.
They've reportedly agreed to pay restitution of $300.
The four players once faced possible jail time for being accused of raping a teammate with a pool cue.
Now, attorney Clark Brewster, who represents one of the boys, said the young defendants are finally being treated fairly.
From the initial incident in 2017, the four players and their lawyers protested they were guilty as charged.
"It started out as a sensational story about instrumentation rape by young men against another boy, we knew that that wasn't true," said Brewster.
Brewster said the boys never raped anyone.
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"It wasn't even close to a rape. Nobody's clothes were off. There was no penetration with the pool cue. It was a joke," said Brewster.
Family Safety Center executive director Suzann Stewart said what happened in Bixby was no laughing matter.
"It doesn't happen all the time, and it's not healthy. And it's not right. And it is an assault," said Stewart.
Stewart worries the case sends mixed signals.
"To victims, it says, 'Well, this wasn't really as serious as you thought.' And to defendants it sends a message that this wasn't as serious as we told you it was," said Stewart.
As Bixby boys accept a lesser charge of assault, Stewart said there should be no easy out.
"There's got to be some counseling involved for the defendants. Whether it was a 'high school prank, boys being boys,' which is how these kinds of things normally are projected by the public," said Stewart.
Either way, she said it's a good lesson for everyone.
As part of the punishment, the boys won't be allowed to own a firearm for 10 years.
They also have to complete community service and will face some court-ordered counseling.
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