Episode 200: 13 Popular High School Football Players Gang Raped Their Disabled Classmate - “The Princes of Glen Ridge”
When I say “it was the town’s best-kept secret,” what do you imagine? Maybe an unknown hole-in-the-wall restaurant with the best milkshakes? Maybe a secret hangout spot near the river with the best city views.
Not for the town of Glen Ridge; it was much darker than that. For them, their best-kept secret was their boys. The town’s group of star athletes - the football players, wrestlers, basketball players, and the most popular boys in class.
So why are they a secret? Well, they’re not. But the secret was over a dozen of the most popular boys gang raped a disabled high school girl. They assaulted her with a baseball bat and broomstick.
It was a secret kept by the boys, the parents, teachers, faculty members, coaches, and social workers, for 3 full months before the police were alerted.
Full Source Notes: rottenmangopodcast.com
Source notes:
Book: “Our Guys” - by Bernard Lefkowitz
(The most emotional book I’ve read in forever. I have never cried so much during a single book. It was moving, heartbreaking, and really gives you perspective on the detrimental effects of sexual violence. This book is not just about this case but about victims everywhere.)
In depth article on the case - https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-33/essays/everybody-knows/
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/nj-superior-court-appellate-division/1271757.html
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/97/08/03/reviews/glenridge-verdict.html
https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/law-magazines/glen-ridge-rape-trial-1992-93
http://www.cnn.com/US/9706/30/glen.ridge.pm/
https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/25/nyregion/5-youths-held-in-sex-assault-on-mentally-impaired-girl-17.html?pagewanted=1
https://vault.si.com/vault/1993/03/29/ordinary-people-were-the-suburban-youths-who-raped-a-retarded-girl-star-athletes-or-just-typical-kids
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1993/04/24/3-men-in-sexual-assault-given-15-year-sentences/ab8ba1f0-771f-4597-a755-d99588dcb345/
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I_8hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sGkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3561,3479287&dq=glen+ridge&hl=en
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LbgSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6_kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6067,4020248&dq=glen+ridge&hl=en
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-03-21-mn-13475-story.html
https://www.nytimes.com/topic/person/kevin-scherzer
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/31/nyregion/ex-athletes-in-inmate-brawl.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/01/nyregion/3-men-are-jailed-in-glen-ridge-sexual-assault-case.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/01/nyregion/glare-of-the-spotlight-returns-to-glen-ridge-8-years-after-a-crime.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/20/nyregion/sex-assault-case-revives-memories-of-an-alleged-cover-up.html
https://baristanet.com/2004/08/our-guys-lose-appeal/
DISCLAIMER: Some links are listed in the source material but the material may never be discussed in the podcast, If there are un-verifiable sources (ie Reddit) - they are typically referred to as un-verified sources, opinions, and or theories in the podcast and not treated as fact.