Indicted cheerleaders could get jail time if convicted

The seven indicted cheerleaders of Morton Ranch High School in Katy, Texas, could get up to six months in jail if convicted of hazing, officials say.

Their attorneys say that their indictment this week was an overreaction and that their clients will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

The indictments stem from a July 25 in which junior varsity cheerleaders were picked up from their homes by varsity cheerleaders in the early morning hours for what was supposed to be a friendly predawn breakfast. But authorities say instead, the younger girls were taken to a home where they were bound, blindfolded and thrown into a swimming pool.

The parents of the junior varsity cheerleaders told the Houston Chronicle that their daughters have been harassed at school because of the case. The school has suspended all cheerleading activities.

-- Lance Murray

Comments

[JW]

Hazing is torture for the sake of amusement of the perpetrators. If we are going all out on this push to nanny culture, we will just stop all hazing, teasing, initiations and bullying too!
If on the other hand, we will employ some measure of common sense, it could be presumed that these girls knew what they were doing was cruel and was designed to physically intimidate the younger girls. Many clubs/organizations have initiations, but throwing tied up girls in the pool, that shows a severe lack of common sense.