Newsfront

Dirty Dancing

White Lake Township, Michigan--The principal of Lakeland High suspended four students who simulated sex acts during a pep rally. At one point, two boys pantomimed doggy-style sex. Later, two girls writhed together without touching. A videotape showed the crowd cheering throughout the four-minute performance, and three teachers chosen as judges gave the skit a perfect score. The principal sent the students home for two days. "People should dance in a way that shows self-respect and dignity," he said.

Money Talks

Washington, D.C.--A Justice Department study found that newly convicted felons who had public defenders were more likely to receive prison time than those with private lawyers, even though the conviction rates for the two groups are almost identical. Nearly 90 percent of those with publicly funded lawyers got prison sentences, compared with 77 percent of those who had private counsel. At the state level, the figures were 71 percent and 54 percent, respectively. Public defenders also were more likely to represent minorities and those with prior convictions.

Defiant King

Manhattan Beach, California--Officials at Mira Costa High suspended a senior because he refused to accept the title of homecoming king. Patrick Griffiths walked off during the ceremony, leaving his crown behind. The teen said he refused the honor because "it discourages difference." The next day, the principal suspended him for two days, saying he had defied the authority of school officials.

Lofty Excuses

Nashville--The Catholic Church attempted a defense in a sex abuse case that some of its members found offensive. Two plaintiffs alleged they had been molested as teens by a former priest. They sued for $35 million, charging negligence. The men argued that they would not have been molested had the church reported the priest's abuse of 21 other boys a decade earlier. The church countered that it didn't notify authorities because it had learned of the abuse only after the victims reached adulthood and the man had left the priesthood. In addition, the church attempted to limit its liability by citing the legal doctrine of "comparative fault"--others shared blame because they had known of the priest's crimes but failed to act. The church's list of culpability included the 21 victims.

Equal Time

Whitmore Lake, Michigan--When a student in a coed gym class discovered that someone had stolen cash from her wallet, the principal instructed teachers to strip-search each of the 20 boys in the class. Police called to the school told teachers to also search the five female students, in order to avoid complaints that the first search had been discriminatory. The officers later said they didn't realize the boys had been strip-searched, and that they had been referring only to the girls' belongings. Six students sued, saying that their Fourth Amendment rights had been violated. The money was never recovered.

Alien Encounter

Rangely, Colorado--The city's board of trustees shut down the Where It's At tavern for five days because its owner sold T-shirts showing a cartoon space alien with her face in the crotch of a male alien. The legend read This is where it's at. A waitress at the bar complained that the shirts constituted sexual harassment. The board ruled that they violated state law, which prohibits depictions of sex in establishments that serve alcohol. The owner was unapologetic. "They say the shirt shows oral copulation, but they are seeing what they want to see," he said. "No one knows the anatomy of aliens."

Circular Arguments

West Palm Beach, Florida--Accused of bribery, defense attorney Philip Butler decided to represent himself. He was convicted. In an appeal, Butler argued that the judgment should be overturned because he hadn't received a hearing to determine if he knew what he was doing when he refused counsel. The court upheld the conviction, noting that Butler had 25 years' experience inside courtrooms.

Concord, New Hampshire--The state supreme court ruled that a clerical worker could receive payment for a "work-related stress injury stemming from various disciplinary actions." She had been stressed out by her poor performance reviews, which caused her to become depressed, which qualified her for worker's comp.

Kink Link

A new website lists lawyers and other professionals who take clients involved in alternative lifestyles such as cross-dressing, bondage and polyamory. Kink Aware Professionals (www.bannon.com/kap) provides contact information for fetish-friendly doctors, therapists, dentists, chiropractors and even computer tech support. The professionals aren't necessarily kinky themselves--just open-minded.