Florida teen fights expulsion and criminal charges for same sex relationship

[Wolfman1982]

http://www.examiner.com/article/flo...nd-criminal-charges-for-same-sex-relationship

Most high school seniors are excitedly preparing to put on their cap and gown and looking forward to the future right now. Kaitlyn Hunt, 18, is instead fighting bigotry and hoping she won’t be forced to go to jail instead of college. Her crime? Dating another student – a female student. Kaitlyn’s family took her story public on May 17th, via Facebook.

Hunt was a highly respected student at Florida’s Sebastian River High School with good grades and participation in cheerleading, basketball and chorus. She was even voted “most school spirit.”

All of that changed when she started dating a fellow student, a girl she met on the basketball team, at the beginning of the school year.

According to Kaitlyn’s father, Steven R. Hunt, Jr., the relationship caused waves at the school from the start. His daughter was dropped from the basketball team because the coach feared a same-sex relationship would bring unwanted “drama.”

Then the family was shocked and devastated when police came to their home in February to arrest Kaitlyn. She was charged with two felony counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a child 12 – 16 years of age.

Kaitlyn was 17 when the relationship began, but right after she turned 18, her 15-year-old girlfriend's parents pressed charges. Hunt’s mother, Kelley Hunt Smith, says the other set of parents have made it their mission to destroy her daughter’s life, all because they can’t accept that their child was in a same sex relationship.

The girl’s family petitioned the school board and got Katilyn expelled from school, weeks before graduation. This decision was made in spite of a judge declaring she could continue to attend school as long as she didn’t have contact with the girl.

The heartache for the Hunt family continues even with Kaitlyn forced out of the school. Steven said their younger child is also a student at Sebastian River High School and is forced to see words like “criminal,” “rapist” and “child abuser” written about her sister on the bathroom walls at school, despite his repeated request that the school to do something about it.

Kaitlyn has been offered a plea deal of house arrest for two years, plus a year of probation. This would delay her entering the next phase of her life and stay on her permanent adult record, limiting her career choices.

Her parents say all of this is because she fell in love with another girl and that girl’s parents couldn’t handle it. They are urging the public to step up to “stop the hate, free Kate” by signing a petition they will present to the Indian River County State Attorney’s Office. Click here to sign. You can also learn more about Kaitlyn Hunt’s story on the Free Kate Facebook page.

This article reminds me of one of the first head-shaking incidents so long ago. Where it was a young man, getting a prison sentence (of 20 years) because he blew another young man. The hypocrisy is insane, both in this incident and the old incident I am thinking.

 

[stickygirl]

Signed immediately and without hesitation. This is so, so sad. These are children - they need love and support not the juggernaut of mindless justice. Another step further from love and one closer to hatred. What is wrong with this world??? Fuck this. What the fuck?

I've put this on my Tumblr: that should get some numbers on the petition

Thank you for posting this - we have to fight this insanity

 

[Wolfman1982]

Well the old case I was thinking about happened back in 2000, and I remember the particular case, cause it was one of first threads I read in the GLBT chatter about a young man who blew another young man (consensually).
And got a prison sentence of 20 years. Oh yeah here it is.

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=225213

The victim is out now of prison. But bloody fuck, it was an insane case.

http://lysis.blogsport.de/2006/03/1...-note-on-the-silent-release-of-matthew-limon/

 

[haurni]

Florida seems pretty bad for LGBT people, from what I've been reading.

Here's one from Texas (which seems a close contender):

http://www.dallasvoice.com/judge-lesbian-moms-partner-10147997.html

"Page Price and Carolyn Compton have been together for almost three years, but a Collin County judge is forcing them apart.

Judge John Roach Jr., a Republican who presides over the 296th District Court, enforced the “morality clause” in Compton’s divorce papers on Tuesday, May 7. Under the clause, someone who has a “dating or intimate relationship” with the person or is not related “by blood or marriage” is not allowed after 9 p.m. when the children are present. Price was given 30 days to move out of the home because the children live with the couple.

Price posted about the judge’s ruling on Facebook last week, writing that the judge placed the clause in the divorce papers because he didn’t like Compton’s “lifestyle.”"​

 

[sr71plt]

The legal aspect of this case (and it can only be a case with the government prosecutors pursuing it--the original article is incorrect. The parents can't press criminal charges; the government does that) doesn't hinge on same-sex preference at all. One girl is 18 and the other is 15 (a juvenile who can't legally consent to anything like this; it started when one also was a minor but continued into her adulthood). This is a straight pedophile case. The authorities probably would have pressed charges just as quickly on an adult man (or woman) and juvenile girl (or boy).

The gay consideration should be given where it's the pure factor.

 

[stickygirl]

Agreed - the same would be true in the UK re prosecutors being judiciary. Nevertheless, did the police or the 18yr olds parents think to advise/caution her in advance? The stink is that the other girls parents knew they couldn't stop the relationship until the older girl became liable. Parents have failed on both sides and the Law, being the Ass it is, has to act accordingly.
Quite how the younger girl will regard her parents now and for the rest of her life ( they maybe think she'll learn to be grateful when she realises she's been saved from SATAN? )
What ever happen to the local police sending a female cop round to have a chat? Maybe they would've liked to have done that but some greedy lawyer has seen a chance to make a name for themselves and line their pockets on the back of two kids in love.

 

[sr71plt]

THE point, I think, is that this isn't a case to go all GLBT atomic over. It's a pedophile case--and is being prosecuted as such.

 

[stickygirl]

THE point, I think, is that this isn't a case to go all GLBT atomic over. It's a pedophile case--and is being prosecuted as such.

Quite: it isn't specifically LGBT and I don't think I've alluded to that at all. It's a case of two kids being let down by their parents. I'm seeing the individuals involved and hope the judge views in context.

 

[Wolfman1982]

THE point, I think, is that this isn't a case to go all GLBT atomic over. It's a pedophile case--and is being prosecuted as such.

I doubt it, but then again. I am from Denmark where we have other views upon these things. Cause around here the legal age of consent is 15. And there are a few cases (every year) where reality is . That it is love (then you can always go nuts and say something about age of reason and so forth). But the cases I think of, has between two people of the opposite gender. And the male , if he is the oldest gets a suspended sentence . Because the other person has NOT been groomed and so forth. So it could be a case like that. You say it is a "straight" pedophilia case. I have a feeling it is not. But who knows what is right, and what is wrong.

 

[sr71plt]

Quite: it isn't specifically LGBT and I don't think I've alluded to that at all. It's a case of two kids being let down by their parents. I'm seeing the individuals involved and hope the judge views in context.

I don't think you've alluded to it either. But the thread was started as if LGBT is THE issue. It's not. And it's sort of important to keep one's powder dry in getting all hot and bothered for the cases that aren't watered down (or dominated, as in this case) by other issues.

 

[John Doe]

THE point, I think, is that this isn't a case to go all GLBT atomic over. It's a pedophile case--and is being prosecuted as such.

Pedophilia is the primary or exclusive sexual preference of an adult for prepubescent children. Unless the 15 year-old in this case is an extremely late bloomer this has nothing to do with pedophilia.

 

[sr71plt]

Pedophilia is the primary or exclusive sexual preference of an adult for prepubescent children. Unless the 15 year-old in this case is an extremely late bloomer this has nothing to do with pedophilia.

*Sigh* This is a case of a legal adult messing around with a legal child. Your wearing blinders doesn't change the legal issue here.

Websters: "pedophilia: sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object."

Legally in Florida, a fifteen-year-old is a child. Not a word about "prepubescent" in that definition.

 

[Wolfman1982]

*Sigh* This is a case of a legal adult messing around with a legal child. Your wearing blinders doesn't change the legal issue here.

Websters: "pedophilia: sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object."

Legally in Florida, a fifteen-year-old is a child. Not a word about "prepubescent" in that definition.

I just think it is a sad thing.

 

[Wolfman1982]

It looks like this incident has gone even more fubar. Sorry if it looks like a repeat or spam.

http://www.xojane.com/issues/kaitlyn-hunt

My Daughter Was Arrested, Expelled And Charged With A Felony For A Same-Sex Relationship She Had As A Minor

The nightmare began in February when the cops came to arrest my daughter, who had just turned 18, and took her away without telling us what was happening.

Steven Hunt Jr.

On Saturday, February 16, our family's world was torn apart and our daughter's life turned upside down.

The police came and arrested my daughter, put her in handcuffs and no reason was given at all.

They refused to tell her mother anything at first because she had turned 18.

My daughter was ripped out of her mother's arms, hysterical. The police finally told us she was being arrested on “probable cause." When they said sexual battery on a person 12-16 years old, it was clear what was going on.

It had to have been my daughter's girlfriend's parents.

My daughter, Kaitlyn, was in a romantic relationship with a student at her school who was also a teammate on the basketball team.

She is a high school senior living in Indian River County, Florida.

Until halfway through the school year, she was a student at Indian River High School, where she had been a cheerleader, a varsity basketball player and was busy preparing for a career serving others in the nursing field.

Kate was a popular student who was voted as the student with "most school spirit." Kate's girlfriend was a freshman student enrolled in international baccalaureate courses with upperclassmen and a fellow player on the basketball team with Kate.

While Kate was three years older than her girlfriend, they were peers. But when Kate's girlfriend's parents learned of their relationship, they went directly to the police to press charges without sharing their objections with Kate or her family.

The police taped a conversation between Kate and her girlfriend, which led to Kate's arrest. Kate was interrogated extensively without a lawyer present. I am a former police officer, so she trusted the police and didn't feel she had anything to hide. Kate was eventually charged with two counts of felony lewd and lascivious battery on a child 12-16.

The prosecutor later offered a plea deal of felony child abuse, with two years house arrest followed by one year probation. Today, the girls are 18 and 15.

Kate's girlfriend has taken no part in her prosecution and adamantly denies she is a victim, but the law grants her no rights in this matter. Kate has offered to permanently cease contact and leave the state if charges are dropped, but that offer has been rejected by the prosecutor and the girlfriend's parents.

Before the legal trouble began, Kate was already a target at her school.

After the relationship started, the basketball coach approached her and said, "Kaitlyn, can I talk to you? I heard you have something going on with another female player on our team, and I can't have that kind of drama on my team, I don't allow it and I wouldn't ever. So, I'm sorry, but playing on our team won't work out for you."

Yes, that's right, my own daughter was removed from a sport she loves simply because she was in a relationship with another "student."

Now, it didn't stop there. The girl's mother found out about the relationship, and, as several people told me, the girl's mother said that there's no way her daughter could be gay.

Anyone who knows my daughter Kate knows how wonderful she is.

Kate is an 18-year-old senior about to graduate with an exemplary record at school and home. She has always been a wonderful student, respected and well liked. She has cheered on the varsity cheer team all throughout high school, sung in chorus and was voted most school spirited. She has never been in trouble, ever. She truly is the model student and child.

This relationship occurred when they were both minors, and my daughter's girlfriend's parents waited until she turned 18 to arrest her.

These people never came to us, never tried to speak to us, didn’t try to get the school involved to speak to us and tell us they had a problem with the girls dating, not one single word.

Instead, they set out their vengeance and had Kate arrested on felony charges.

It was Kate's senior year -- she only had a few months until graduation and we wanted her to finish. But the parents petitioned the court and asked the judge to remove Kate from school, even though the judge already ruled Kate could continue school. But this other student's parents feel like my daughter “made” their daughter gay.

My daughter's girlfriend has said from day one, she cares about my daughter, she never wanted her parents to do this, she was 100% consenting and it was by her own choice that she was with my daughter.

She doesn’t want Kate to be punished.

My daughter's life is being destroyed. Kate is deeply depressed, crying all the time and suffering night terrors.

I will do whatever it takes to fight for my daughter.

And I'm finding out that I am not alone.

Internet activist group Anonymous launched #OpJustice4Kaitlyn on May 19 and released a statement addressed to the Indian River County State Attorney's Office that reads in part: "Kaitlyn Hunt is a bright young girl who was involved in a consensual, same-sex relationship while both she and her partner were minors. She has a big future ahead of her and there are people, thousands of people in fact, that have no intention of allowing you to ruin it with your rotten selective enforcement."

How can you help?

First, sign this petition.

Second, if you would like to help with the considerable legal fees, you can purchase a bracelet that says "STOP THE HATE, FREE KATE."

Third, if you're a resident of Florida, please contact your state legislators and tell them the law needs to protect high school peers from prosecution.

Find your state legislators here.

Fourth, share this story!

Share with everyone. If you know a high school student, make sure he or she knows the law.
Please -- let's stop the hate. Free Kate

 

[stickygirl]

I don't think you've alluded to it either. But the thread was started as if LGBT is THE issue. It's not. And it's sort of important to keep one's powder dry in getting all hot and bothered for the cases that aren't watered down (or dominated, as in this case) by other issues.

Are you suggesting he's crying wolf man? I'm happy to talk about topics outside of LGBT: one of my lecturers is gay and he talks about atomic particles
all
the
time

I only get hot and bothered between the sheets

 

[sr71plt]

Yes, it's sad. But it needs to stop for now. Not only is a 15-year-old not old enough to be making these decisions (not just legally--emotionally) but also apparently kicking it into the legal system is the only way to get that done. If the parents let it continue, THEY could be prosecuted under the law. They are legally responsible for what their 15-year-old does. Put yourself in the place of the parents and contemplate what choices you'd have. This isn't Neverneverland.

 

[Wolfman1982]

This isn't Neverneverland.

Nope, and it is not Denmark either.

 

[stickygirl]

Yes, it's sad. But it needs to stop for now. Not only is a 15-year-old not old enough to be making these decisions (not just legally--emotionally) but also apparently kicking it into the legal system is the only way to get that done. If the parents let it continue, THEY could be prosecuted under the law. They are legally responsible for what their 15-year-old does. Put yourself in the place of the parents and contemplate what choices you'd have. This isn't Neverneverland.

Then both parents are liable now, because they allowed it to happen whilst both girls were minors. There would be some justice in that

 

[sr71plt]

Nope, and it is not Denmark either.

True. But then you're from Denmark and posted the thread on a Florida, U.S., case--apparently from a Danish perspective. The fact is that a 14/15-year-old i the States is a minor; it's irrelevant that she wouldn't be in Denmark. Admittedly the yellow-journalism source you cited was misrepresenting the case to gin up GLBT community ire.

 

[sr71plt]

Then both parents are liable now, because they allowed it to happen whilst both girls were minors. There would be some justice in that

Allowed to happen? You've never had teenage children, I take it(?)

 

[Wolfman1982]

Allowed to happen? You've never had teenage children, I take it(?)

You should be ashamed asking her about such a thing.

 

[sr71plt]

You should be ashamed asking her about such a thing.

Why? Have you raised teenagers? If so, were you able to maintain full control of them? It's hit and miss and largely a matter of luck. I think I managed with my own two, but I raised a sister through that period and she was totally uncontrollable.

But back to why the hell should I be ashamed to ask that question? How can you make blanket statements about what parents of teenagers should be able to do with them if you haven't done it yourself?

 

[Wolfman1982]

But back to why the hell should I be ashamed to ask that question? How can you make blanket statements about what parents of teenagers should be able to do with them if you haven't done it yourself?

Check the lady´s profile. Before you ask such a question, after all we are in the GLBT chatter.

 

[stickygirl]

Wolfman but really, no bruises here on that account - it's just a problem of online forums.
But, coming back to the discussion, no I haven't had kids but don't try and wriggle out of a point by citing personal experience all of a sudden: a lawyer would crucify you for that and the judge would give you a stern look. The article above clearly shows the parents of the younger girl knew what was going on and so did the school team coach. I can't believe the older girl could keep the reason for her expulsion from the team secret from her parents either.

Maybe the older girls' parents did say something but maybe they didn't spell it out as you would have done : "this has to stop or your will be a pedophile" We can only conjecture it was said, but nevertheless, the parents of both kids knew. Which brings me back to my earlier point: the parents are as liable for prosecution as the older girl. Did the younger girls' parents only find out at midnight of the 18yr olds birthday? That's the thrust of this campaign: those parents are using the law to batter the older girl, when what they should have done was have the courage to face up to the other parents: they didn't. Why not? I tell you why not: because they were in denial that their precious 15yr old could possibly be lesbian and they wanted to punish the other girl.

Whatever, it's done now. It's in the hands of the law and due justice will be done and rightly so. How often the law is used where common sense and courtesy, let alone a bit of open-mindedness by the parents, would have far more appropriate for kids this age? The lawyers make a buck, those parents score a misguided victory for 'decency' and their kid will hate them for ever. Nice one.

 

[Dyslexicea]

Yes, it's sad. But it needs to stop for now. Not only is a 15-year-old not old enough to be making these decisions (not just legally--emotionally) but also apparently kicking it into the legal system is the only way to get that done. If the parents let it continue, THEY could be prosecuted under the law. They are legally responsible for what their 15-year-old does. Put yourself in the place of the parents and contemplate what choices you'd have. This isn't Neverneverland.

I'm sorry Pilot but your wrong no one is going to prosecute the parents of this 15 year old, if that were the case there would be many prosecutions of parents of 15 year old girls dating and having sex with 18 year old boys, boys who are still in high school.

It may not be because it is a same sex relationship but being I grew up and lived in Florida from when I was 16 to when I graduated law school, I can assure you it is a very homophobic state and my guess is Sheriff Deryl Loar and State Attorney Bruce Colton are both homophobic. If not they are prosecuting for political reason.

Following are the quotes from both the sheriff and state attorney.

"If this was an 18-year-old male and that was a 14-year-old girl, it would have been prosecuted the same way," Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar said. (Note: the sheriff needs to get his facts straight)

Florida's law says any person who engages in sexual activity with a minor between the ages of 12 and 16 commits the crime of lewd and lascivious battery.

"The idea is to protect people in that vulnerable group from people who are older, 18 and above," Bruce Colton, state attorney for Florida's 19th circuit, said "The statute specifically says that consent is not a defense."

If either one of these two men meant what they are saying, protecting a vulnerable group, there would be public records of boys being prosecuted in this county for the same offense. High school boys, 18, dating high school girls, 15, and having sex but there are no public records of any similar prosecution.

If I was the Sheriff or States Attorney, I could go to any high school and find boys 18 dating girls 15 and I assure you I could put enough pressure on a 15 year old girl for her to admit she's having sex with her boyfriend.

The truth is nobody wants to prosecute normal boy/girl high school relationships but being this is same sex it's being prosecuted. And the real truth is the fifteen year old girl was having safer sex with another girl than she would have been having sex with a boy at least as far as pregnancy goes and according to statistics safer when it comes to Sexual Transmitted Infections.

The real truth is that the parent of the younger girl may not be protecting her at all, suicide among teen lesbians is very high and the reason for that is parents like hers.