The Rapid City Journal finds it newsworthy to post a list of historic Rapid City Central High School figures who were really good at playing games. Among the honorees is Cobbler basketball coach Dave Strain. From 1963 to 1986, Strain coached the boys basketball team to the state tournament eighteen times. He was good enough at his job to be inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, while still coaching.
If the Sports Hall of Fame had waited a year, they might not have inducted Strain, as he was fired for making moves off the court:
On May 7, 1986, A.S., a sophomore student at Central High School in Rapid City, was contacted by a school counselor about attendance problems. The following morning, A.S., at the request of her parents, came in to visit the counselor. A.S. advised the counselor that her mother had been working overtime and consequently A.S. was not getting enough attention from her. Later that afternoon, A.S. came back and told the counselor that A.S. had to tell somebody that something was going on in her life that she could not handle. A.S. stated that she did not know whether to trust the counselor because she did not want anybody to know what she had to tell.
A.S. told the counselor that around November of 1985, Strain asked her and a friend to help him in the computer room and they did so. Soon after that Strain would put his hand on her knee. Although A.S. thought he was being overly friendly, it did not bother her. A.S. said that after a while Strain touched her in other places, including her breasts. One time Strain started to unbutton her top, but another teacher came along and A.S. hurriedly buttoned it up. On another occasion, Strain exposed himself, grabbed her hand and put it on his penis [South Dakota Supreme Court, David Strain v. Rapid City School Board, 1989.10.11].
Afraid of the backlash that could arise from challenging one of the most popular men in town, the student nonetheless found the courage to tell more of her story at the Rapid City School Board hearing on September 18, 1986:
At the hearing A.S. related the incidents of indecent exposure and sexual contact by Strain. A.S. further testified that one day Strain asked that she run off some grades for him after school. She testified that Strain turned off the light in the computer room, pushed her against the wall, had her unbutton her jeans, pulled them down and then had intercourse with her.
A.S. acknowledged that she had not told the principal or the sheriff's department that Strain had intercourse with her. A.S. testified that she was afraid of what they would think of her, and she was afraid no one would believe her because of Strain's position. Strain was a tenured teacher at Rapid City Central High School with 25 years of teaching experience. While at Rapid City Central High School, he taught several subjects, and was a well-known and successful basketball coach. Additionally, Strain was active in involving Native Americans in athletics, academic and civic matters [Strain v. Rapid City, 1989].
A Central graduate testified that Strain had sexually harassed her in school a few years before the 1986 incidents. The Rapid City School Board concluded the evidence was solid enough to fire Strain.
These two women will likely never be celebrated in the Rapid City Journal for bravery or civic responsibility. They will likely never receive accolades from a hall of fame for protecting other young women from Strain's predations. We have our cultural priorities.
I tell this story with very personal caution. Interested parties can track down a court transcript of my own conflict with a school board that fired me for poor performance and unprofessional conduct in a South Dakota high school. Readers may review that unhappy story and discount any of my prior or subsequent achievements as they see fit.
But Strain's history and ongoing recognition raise this question: How long must the asterisk remain next to a successful citizen's name? What harm do we do the victims of his crimes by forgetting that asterisk?
Cory, I wrote a letter to state senator Lucas concerning a teacher and a student in a sexual relationship in the eastern part of the state in 2012. He replied that he knew the individual and said that he was sure that the teacher would never teach again!! Mr. Lucas ,our state senator from mission replied that he was sure faith and forgiveness would be acceptacle for punishment for the teacher!!! I am sure that young girl is still living with that memory!!!!!!
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/12/24/3103291/alabama-judge-gives-rapist-probation-prison-time/
This thug wasn't a teacher,never the less,it is pretty despicable sentence. Teacher in Montans had sex with 14 y/o student,judge blamed her for looking older than 14,teacher got 31 days in jail,with one day off,girl killed herself at 16. Judge had no clue why people protested sentence.
Was he ever criminally prosecuted?
Joe,which 0ne are talking about???!!!
I remember the Strain crime spree well. Strain was the great white hero, especially West River. The deference he was treated with, the worshipful tones he was spoken of - it was just sickening. It was an extreme example of the jock worship syndrome. Ugh.
No. He was never prosecuted. In fact, for that time and place, it was shocking that Strain was fired. Not acceptable, not lawful. But truly unexpected.
I've been wondering what is going on in this country regarding sexual assault. After several years of Roman Catholic sexual assaults of girls and boys in MN, finally FINALLY the St. Paul cops are Ordering the archdiocese to turn over All records they have regarding these crimes. In the years prior to this, local police have asked, pretty please, if the sleezy archbishop would share some names, if it was no bother.
In the military, sexual assaults are not only routine, they are winked at by many commanders. Some commanders are on record for dismissing charges when the military prosecutors urged them to approve the charges in very winnable cases. Many are ended with a letter of reprimand in the rapists file. No Prison Time.
At the U of MN one in five women will endure a sexual assault. Not a terribly notable percent by higher education standards. On the Res I believe the number is 1 in 3.
What is going on!?! What are you males thinking!?! Why isn't this an issue you all are raising hell about!?! The answer that you've made crystal clear is that these crimes against girls and women, and a much smaller number males, are just not that important to you.
Look at the posts and the comments. You'll go crazy on taxes, corruption, health care, abortion! But sexual assaults that overwhelmingly affect girls and women? Not much at all.
Before you write your outraged defenses, swearing your opposition to rape, save your breath. Don't talk. Show me. Show me. Not your words. Your actions. Women have dedicated ourselves to fighting for our right to be safe and have equal access to justice for decades. I'm very tired. Still enraged by being a second class citizen, but also worn out from the daily fight.
Men commit something like 95% of the sexual assaults. So commit 95% of the opposition to sexual assaults! Form organizations. Speak to men's groups, high school football teams, elementary school boys' classes. You have to teach the boys that real men don't rape. Teach them that Wilt Chamberlain should be terribly ashamed of having sexual encounters with more than 1000 women - he said.
Tell them you never cheer for Ben Roethlisberger, who raped a woman. Tell them Adrian Peterson, biological father of 4-5 children, is nobody's hero.
And get after your legislators again and again and again for Really Tough sexual assault laws and equally tough enforcement.
I often feel like giving up, feeling like this will Never Get Better. But then I give it another shot. How are you going to respond? Tell me you've been wronged? I'm picking on you unfairly? Wait till it happens to one of your children, grandchildren?
Before I wrote this comment, it was up to you. It still is. I still have a glimmer of hope.
Deb G- Here is a woman who has walked the walk and is not afraid to confront wingnuts on their own turf. If I recruited an army to fight wingnut tomfoolery,she'd be my first pick.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shannyn-moore/life-begins-at-rapeask-pa_b_140055.html
Deb, your comment touches on a comment I heard attributed to Jon Stewart: folks freak out over a civil and openly gay man playing in the NFL, but they have no problem cheering the kinds of vicious thugs you describe. We have a serious cultural malady wrapped up in sports and sex.
Though I usually try to see the humor in the hypocrisy, this is a tragic subject.
South Dakota did not have a Statute of Limitations on child molestation... until the Lawmakers were bribed once again. Now, child predators don't have to worry once that short time limit is reached. One by one, they watch their victims, who say nothing out of fear, shame, and feelings of unworthiness, run out of time for Justice before they can find the strength to talk about what happened to them. The blatant racism involved in passing this Law is another subject, but the Law affects everyone.
Those known molesters are still out there, protected by Statute, their victims left to fend for themselves without resources.
Some people might call those bribes "campaign contributions", but they wouldn't be members of the group that was raped.
Molested first by someone they trusted, then again by the trusted Legislature and Governor. ... and by the People, who can't involve themselves with politics enough to see the Legislature is aiding and abetting child molesters every day this Law stands.
The damage is forever, so too should be the risk and responsibility. Tell your Lawmakers to repeal this horrible Law and put some the fear back in those who might molest, that the clock never runs out on their game.
The limit was 3 years. In 1992 I went to Pierre at the invitation of Sen. Carol Maiki, D-Black Hawk, to testify for a new law changing the statute of limitations to 3 years from the Discovery of Damages. That meant from the time the child was grown enough to recognize that dear dad/grampa/neighbor was committing a criminal act, that what they were doing was not her fault, etc.
The committee passed the bill unanimously, then each house did the same. No dissenting votes. Can you imagine that today? I think that session the Democratic caucus was 50% women. Every single Republican voted yes! Wow.
I'm so disappointed at the regression since then. In 1992 South Dakota publicly, unanimously, unambiguously stood up for the children in the state. That was one of my proudest moments as a South Dakotan. I'd love to have many, many more.
and yet you worship Bill Clinton.
jgt, are you talking to me? Three Things:
1. Clinton had sex with a willing, adult participant. Sleezy, cheating on his wife, but not in the same ballpark as raping/molesting small children.
2. I'm not a Bill Clinton fan. His policies did a great deal of harm to working class Americans. He was better than the predecessor Bush, and vastly superior to the little Bushie who succeeded him.
3. Get a clue before you try to blurt inflammatory declarations. You weren't even close on this one.
OBTW, if we were talking about Hilary Clinton, I'd describe myself as a 75% supporter. I'm worried about her military attitude. She might be too hawkish for me.
Deb,
It appears that Thompson is trying to inject the Rand Paul campaign to renew the Lewinsky scandal into today's politics. I hope you keeps it up, this will backfire on both Paul and Thompson.
Hopefully you know that there are more good men in this country than there are bad, men that respect and advocate rights and protections of women.
Politicians that oppose strict sanctions against sexual offenders share the guilt of those getting away with these crimes. In fact, politicians should be held accountable for their aiding and abetting sex criminals, they have the power to do something about it and don't.
Yes Roger, I do know about the plethora of good men. I want you all to get loud, make sexual crimes your Number 1 Priority. Neither the sociopaths in Congress, nor SD legislators will do it without inordinate pressure.
What is the sexual assault ratio for American Indian women? I'm thinking something like 1/3, or even 1/2. It's horrendous, that's certain.
I must have missed when western South Dakota seceded from the Union and citizens could be found guilty of a crime without being charged, much less tried and convicted.
It's a shame that you can write garbage like this about someone who has done so much good for a community. Dave Strain was a coach, teacher and mentor of mine and I've now known him for almost 40 years and I can tell you that he has never done anything but try and help people. The allegations you mention here were never proven, Coach Strain just didn't want to fight the school board to have them refuted. Coach Strain had a long illustrious career that was coming to an end. He had a unique way of motivating his basketball players that sometimes involved what was called a thump in the chest. The school board had received complaints about that coaching style and were looking for a way to have him removed. There are fabrications by a young girl that was struggling in classes and it gave her an easy way out. It's a shame the Rapid City School System had to lose a fine teacher and coach a few years to early.
Didn't want to fight? He appealed to the Supreme Court, which agreed with the school board.
I write no garbage: the above post reports statements on the record.