Story Archive

Don’t Sweat the Huge Stuff

“Ma’Lik Richmond has done everything the court has asked of him since he’s been sentenced,” says Jefferson County, Ohio, Chief Probation Officer Fred Abdalla Jr., defending his position that “the boy should be allowed to play.” Coach Reno Saccoccia says Richmond complied with all the school system’s requests too. And according to Interim Superintendent Melinda Young, students convicted of felonies are banned from varsity sports for a calendar year — but that year has passed for Richmond, who spent much of it in juvie. He was sent there after being found delinquent on a charge of rape; the evidence included detailed text messages and cell-phone photographs of the victim. And now Richmond is back on the Big Red football team in Steubenville, Ohio. (AC/WTRF Wheeling, WTTE Columbus, New York Times) ...Lesson to his teammates: You, too, can commit rape and get back on the team.