‘Butt Drag’ Incident Raises Concerns Over Sexual Assault

JAMES HO
Copy Editor
Within a contact sport as intense as wrestling, referees and other officials ceaselessly scrutinize matches to insure that no foul play occurs. In a Fresno high school, one athlete was accused of sexual assault. In a move that has been described as the ‘butt drag,’ a wrestler hooks the opponent’s tailbone in order to turn their body to the user’s advantage. However, this incident involved an athlete inserting his fingers into the opponent’s titular body part in an attempt to turn him around. Needless to say, the technique began raising questions about its legality.
Seventeen year-old Preston Hill is the alleged sexual assaulter and 15 year-old Ross Rice was the victim. Though the description of the act was graphic—Rice was said to have been painfully assaulted for at least thirty seconds—Hill’s attorney attested that within the intimate sport of wrestling, physical contact is unpredictable and that Hill did not intend to harm his opponent in that context. Nevertheless, the event caused a wave of concern to wash over parents, student athletes, sports officials and administrators alike.
So what exactly are the rules regarding sexual assault in contact heavy sports such as wrestling?
“It’s common sense; we just don’t allow it. Some coaches out there can be unprofessional or inexperienced and they take it too far. We have to take the brunt of that bad publicity,” said wrestling Head Coach Mike Williams.
Upon further research, it was revealed that the ‘butt drag’ move is also commonly referred to as ‘skinning.’ The actual technique mentions no use of the invasive move used by Hill however.
The apparently risky maneuver is sanctioned by wrestling officials but after the publicity of Hill’s case, the rules may be changed to put many people’s minds at ease.
“In wrestling, we face a lot of dangers in every match we compete in. You never know what the other guy is going to do to try to win,” said varsity Co-Captain Richard Poun.