Officials with the Hillsborough County School District are remaining tight-lipped as to the reasons behind the rape of a 13-year old boy in the locker room at Walker Middle School by four fellow male students.
The five teens were in the locker room following flag football practice and four allegedly raped the victim with a hockey stick and a broom handle. The victim had been harassed since mid-March by his four teammates but the reasons for that harassment have not been made public.
"We are not at liberty to say," an unidentified woman answering the phone at the middle school told Watermark. "The case is under investigation."
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested Randall John Moye, 14; Raymond A. Price-Murray, 14; Lee Louis Myers, 14; and Diemante J. Roberts, 15. The four will be charged as adults, Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi told the St. Petersburg Times. They face charges of sexual battery and false imprisonment.
The four were arrested after the victim told a physical education teacher about the assault. The parents of the victim, who have not been identified to protect the teen’s identity, said they didn’t know their son was facing harassment at school.
The case comes just months after the State Legislature passed an anti-bullying bill protecting all students, including LGBT students, from bullying and harassment from classmates.
The victim reportedly wants to return to the school, but his parents have been reluctant to let him go. They told the St. Petersburg Times that they were unsure as to what their next step should be.
All four of the arrested teens are in a juvenile detention facility and are expected to go to trial sometime this fall.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa recently began a capital campaign to raise funds for the construction of a new multipurpose building. Members of the LGBT-affirming church launched the effort on April 18 with a dinner in Ybor City. Fundraising will continue throughout May.
Designed by Hoffman Architects, PA, of Tarpon Springs, the new 3,550-square-foot building will provide space for religious education classes for all ages and serve as meeting rooms for church groups and community organizations.
According to Rev. Dr. Sara Zimmerman, the project is a step toward the fulfillment of the church’s vision to become a center of liberal religious education in the Bay area, a top priority of the congregation. The church is on Morris Bridge Road near Fowler Avenue in Tampa.
The Tampa Museum of Art will once again host its annual Pride & Passion celebration on May 29 at 8 p.m.
Pride & Passion: Constructing the Future, will be held on the ninth floor of downtown Tampa’s Rivergate Tower building overlooking the new Tampa Museum of Art construction site.
The LGBT-focused exhibit and celebration coincides with the beginning of Pride month, which is typically observed in June. Tickets are $60 and proceeds support the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs.
Each year Pride & Passion showcases LGBT artists and musicians while guests enjoy hors d’oeuvres and desserts provided by Bern’s Steak House and Sideberns. This year’s entertainment lineup includes Acho Brother, World Wide Zoo and Cosmic Passage.
Performers Macaviti, Christy Anderson and Nicky Elle will perform as the "Elevator Girls" and Exis Azul, Teddy D. and King Jaxed will perform as the "Elevator Boys."
For more information on Pride & Passion visit TampaMuseum.org.
