Rape Culture at Memorial High

 

Here's what the kids from Memorial HS were selling last week to promote the big game against the Stratford Spartans. 

I won't post the images on this site, because frankly, they leave me frozen, awed, disgusted, enraged, sad, furious, outraged, sick.

What also makes me sad: the people who aren't outraged.  When I received an e-mail from the concerned parent last week, I told him/her I'd ask around to see if anyone in the district knew about this.  Most folks wanted to vomit even without seeing the image, but what shocked me most were those who couldn't care less; those who shrugged it off or said it was a school-boy prank (b/c that makes it ok?), those who communicated by silence or otherwise that I, again, was causin' trouble.

Well, to them I say this:  I get it, I really do.  Misogyny is scary, standing up to it more so.  And if I grew up in Texas football culture, I’d probably keep quite too. 

But I didn’t.  So I won’t. 

Let the trouble begin.

-Kathleen Bergin

post-script:  Spring Branch ISD, where Memorial is located, posted this statement on their website today:

Spring Branch ISD has learned about a t-shirt with an inappropriate graphic image that surfaced in connection with the recent Memorial-Stratford High School football game. This t-shirt was not approved, condoned or sanctioned by SBISD or Memorial High. Several t-shirts were confiscated at the game, and several students have been questioned so far about them. This type of behavior is not acceptable. SBISD and Memorial High officials continue to investigate the situation. Any individuals found to be responsible will be dealt with appropriately.

Hmm, ok.  But the statement makes it sound like SBISD just now learned about the t-shirt, when in fact, grotesquely similar t-shirts apparently have been sold there for years.

  

Comments

[Matthew Reid Krell]

Question: where is this?

Sounds like Texas, according to you. I kind of wish this was where I was licensed, so I could offer my services. I would be interested to learn whether this falls under Morse's prohibitions.

[Kathy Bergin]

Yes, Texas. Spring Branch ISD.

[Howard Wasserman]

Disturbing, yes. Unprotected? Not if there is *anything* left to student speech protection.

[Kathy Bergin]

The limits of the law are one thing, the culture that created a market for this is another.

But I digress . . .

Howard, are you saying this falls clearly within the bounds of protected speech, and not at least near the margins?

Is not the image of a woman orally stimulating a horse while simuntaneously being penetrated by a second horse at least arguably obscene, as to minors, either on campus or at a school function?

[Ben]

Come on seriously?I graduated from memorial last yea and I'm sick of this. We make shirts, so does stratford. They also spray painted our cars and our school. Memorial is ranked 102 in the nation for best schools by us news and world report. We are not rapists. Go away