Last week the National Women’s Law Center, along with a local law firm in Michigan  filed a complaint in federal district court on behalf a high school student who was sexually assaulted at school by a fellow student and star basketball player. In many ways the story echoes the tragic high school rape story from  Steubenville, Ohio,which should lead all of us to ask just what kind of culture are we raising our children in, and what kind of culture is being cultivated at our high schools?

According to the complaint, in 2010 the victim was sexually assaulted by a star player on the school’s basketball team. The assault took place on campus in a sound proof band room at Forest Hills Central High School. The victim notified a teacher who in turn reported the assault to the principal. But rather than open an investigation into the allegations, the principal discouraged the student and her parents from filing charges, telling them that doing so could ruin the assailant’s prospects at being recruited to play basketball for a Division 1 school.

The victim and her parents ignored the principal’s request not to file charges because they were concerned that this student might attack other girls. Instead, the student and her parents filed a police report, and the Kent County Sheriff’s Department began a criminal investigation. Meanwhile, the school did nothing.

As alleged in the complaint, two weeks later another female student was sexually assaulted by the same attacker. Despite a legal obligation under  Title IX to investigate the assault and protect the student, the high school officials never interviewed the girl or her parents again, failed to conduct an investigation, and for two and a half weeks left the attacker in one of her classes.

It gets worse. As word of the sexual assault spread among the student body, the female victim became the target of an intensive cyber-bullying and harassment campaign—both at school and online—that depicted her as a liar and a “whore” who was trying to bring down an innocent athlete. These cyber-attacks were only reinforced by the fact that the school continued to take no action to reprimand the male student. Not only did fellow students harass the victim, the attacker and his friends verbally and physically harassed the girl as well. They followed her around as she moved in and out of classrooms, through hallways, and around the school campus. The attacker sometimes pushed her into other students as she walked down the hallway, causing her to slam into lockers.  Despite repeated efforts by the victim’s parents and other students to alert the principal and the school’s Title IX Coordinator about the viciousness of the harassment by the attacker and other students, school administrators took no action.

Thankfully law enforcement did. Five weeks after the sexual assault, the Kent County Prosecutor’s office authorized two felony counts of criminal sexual conduct against the attacker for his assaults on NWLC’s client and the second female victim at the school. The attacker later pled guilty to a single count of misdemeanor assault and battery. He was sentenced to attend Kent County’s Adolescent Sexual Offender Treatment Program for a second time. The only sanction the school imposed upon the student assailant was to temporarily bench him on the basketball court.

“Title IX requires schools to ensure that the educational environment is free from sex-based discrimination,” said NWLC Vice-President of Education and Employment Fatima Goss Graves  said in a statement.

“This school completely ignored its legal responsibility to address student-on-student sexual harassment and failed to take reasonable steps to protect the victim. The school’s failure to address the harassment sends a chilling message to students that they should remain silent in the face of sexual assault and cannot count on their school to provide a safe learning environment.”

R. Prophet – from the rap group Nappy Roots – was tased and pepper sprayed after allegedly resisting arrest in Kentucky on 4/20 … and it looks like his face got the worst of it.

According to Kentucky State Police, R. Prophet — real name Kenneth Anthony – was waiting by the roadside for his friend to pick him up … but the friend was nicked for DUI right before Anthony could get to the car.

Police say Anthony refused to obey orders to stay on the side of the road and became “very aggressive and combative” with officers … so they tased him.

Cops say Anthony continued to fight — so they took him to the ground — then tased him several more times before handcuffing him. But it didn’t end there — Anthony was put inside the cruiser, when cops say he kicked out the back window … and was then tased AGAIN … as well as pepper sprayed.

Anthony was booked on six counts — public intoxication, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, assault, and “menacing” … whatever that is.

He was released the next day on $5,000 bond.

Nappy Roots rapper B. Stille tells TMZ, “Even though we separated musically, that’s still my brother and I love him and so does everybody else in Nappy Roots … You never want to see something like this happen. He told me this morning the police tried to kill him with excessive force.”

Propz to DJ Shoestring and East1999

Jay-Z graced the cover of TIME magazine’s The 100 Most Influential People In The World issue.

Jay Z embodies so much of what makes New York New York. A kid from a tough neighborhood who grows up in public housing, overcomes lots of bad influences on the street, never lets go of his dream, makes it to the top — and then keeps going, pursuing new outlets for his creativity and ambition. When no one would sign him to a record contract, he created his own label and built a music empire — before going on to design clothing lines, open sports bars and, most recently, represent professional athletes. He’s an artist-entrepreneur who stands at the center of culture and commerce in 21st century America, and his influence stretches across races, religions and regions. He’s never forgotten his roots — “Empire State of Mind” was a love song to our city — and as a co-owner of the NBA Nets, he helped bring a major league sports team back to Brooklyn, not far from his old neighborhood. In nearly everything he’s tried, he’s found success. (He even put a ring on Beyoncé.) And in doing so, he’s proved that the American Dream is alive and well.

Bloomberg is the 108th mayor of New York City

Brittney Griner, the No. 1 pick in Monday’s WNBA draft, acknowledged Wednesday in interviews that she is gay.

Griner, a 6-foot-8, three-time All-America center during an illustrious career at Baylor, said she has previously talked about her sexuality, but this appears to be the first time she’s discussed the matter publicly.

In a group interview with SI.com that included Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins, the Nos. 2 and 3 picks in Monday’s WNBA draft, the players were asked, in women’s sports as opposed to men’s, why athletes coming out is accepted.

“I really couldn’t give an answer on why that’s so different,” Griner told SI.com. “Being one that’s out, it’s just being who you are. Again, like I said, just be who you are.”

Griner said it doesn’t matter what others might think of her or other gay athletes.

“Don’t worry about what other people are going to say, because they’re always going to say something, but, if you’re just true to yourself, let that shine through. Don’t hide who you really are,” she said.

Griner also was asked by SI.com about the difficulty in coming out considering her stature as a prominent athlete.

“It really wasn’t too difficult,” she said. “I wouldn’t say I was hiding or anything like that. I’ve always been open about who I am and my sexuality. So, it wasn’t hard at all. If I can show that I’m out and I’m fine and everything’s OK, then hopefully the younger generation will definitely feel the same way.”

Griner finished her four-year Baylor career as the second all-time scorer in women’s NCAA history with 3,283 points. She is the top shot-blocker ever, shattering both the men’s and women’s college marks with 748. She also had a record 18 dunks — including 11 this season.

The Associated Press also interviewed Griner, Delle Donne and Diggins, and the topic of bullying was part of the discussion. Griner said she was “picked on for being different” while also acknowledging that she is a lesbian.

“Just being bigger, my sexuality, everything,” she told the AP. “I overcame it and got over it. Definitely something that I am very passionate about. I want to work with kids and bring recognition to the problem, especially with the LGBT community.”

Griner told USA Today the day of the draft that she’s been guided by the advice of her parents, who gave her the courage to open up about being gay.

“My parents didn’t know at the time,” Griner told the newspaper. “I hadn’t come out completely. It was kind of like, you know … I just hadn’t said it. My dad and my mom have always told me, ‘Be who you are.’ At the time, they probably weren’t sure what I was interpreting that as,” she said with a laugh.

A Humble private school teacher accused of fondling a student has been charged with indecency with a child, but is denying the allegations by saying she’s prejudiced.

The incident allegedly happened on March 1 inside a classroom at Northwest Preparatory Academy, which is located in the 600 block of Charles Street.

“The victim said that she was in the classroom alone with the teacher and that the teacher touched her on the outside of her clothes, on what she called her ‘private part,’ her vaginal area,” said Humble Police Department Detective J. Blanchard.

The girl said when she told Stokes to stop, Stokes told her to get out of the classroom, according to court records.

The girl told investigators that Stokes made her stand out in the hallway outside of the class and then refused to allow her to eat lunch or take a test.

The child’s mother contacted school officials and was able to confirm that the girl did not eat lunch at school that day.

Stokes denied the allegations.

“She (said she) doesn’t like to even touch the black children on their hand, she shies away when they try to hug her — she admitted to being prejudice,” Blanchard said.

Stokes also allegedly told investigators that she “doesn’t like the student and has little to no interaction with her,” according to court records.

A spokesperson for the school says Stokes is no longer employed at the campus.

“The employee involved was immediately placed on administrative leave as soon as the complaint was received, and the matter was investigated. As a result of the Academy’s investigation, the staff member in question has been terminated,” the school said in a statement released Tuesday.

Stokes is scheduled to appear in court on May 21. She was released from jail on a $10,000 bond.

In May, three Northwest Preparatory Academy staff members were charged with felony injury to a child charges after allegedly over disciplining a seventh grade girl.

Summertime is nearly here, and Nashville’s own oFISHal drops his new single “Almost Kings” just in time! This is the debut single, kicking in the door for his latest mixtape Animalwhich drops 4/23/13 on LiveMixtapes. The tune is already generating massive attention within hip hop circles. The prince of the club expresses his sexier side towards the ladies by expressing “until you find a Queen, you gone be almost a King.” The song was produced by Ducko McFli and is certain to be nothing short of an anthem for the young emcee.

Well, well, it seems that JoJo Simmons was ready for war! He came out with a diss against Juelz Santana, and he seemed confident. But we all know in real life, it doesn’t matter who you are related too. Skullgang rapper, Hynief, found the little Simmons, and well it didn’t end well….It seems after choking up on his shirt, Hynief left Simmons with a puddle under his pants. Do we have to really write it out? HILARIOUS!