Clovis California School Panel Recommends Expulsion For Preston Hill; 17 Year Old Wrestler Who Preformed “Butt-Drag” On Teammate During Practice Found To Have Committed Sexual Battery

A Clovis, California school panel Thursday recommended expulsion for a Buchanan High School wrestler accused of sexual battery against a teammate, the Clovis Independent reports that 17 year old Preston Hill still faces a criminal trial for the sexual battery charge, the trial scheduled to start January 27 in Fresno County Superior Court. According to the report, no one denies that Hill, a senior, preformed the “butt-drag” manoeuver on a freshman teammate at a practice held last July, but Thursday Hill, his coach, and several teammates testified that the technique – a common amateur competitive wrestling move involving the insertion of two fingers in the anus of an opponent to gain additional leverage – was not employed to intentionally hurt the alleged victim. The parent’s of the alleged victim, however, testified that their son had been bullied by Hill and that he feared retaliation. Though Hill has maintained his innocence throughout, the Clovis Unified School District suspended him, pending the outcome of an expulsion hearing. The three-member panel’s unanimous recommendation is now submitted to the school board, which has 10 working days to hold a hearing and vote to uphold, modify, or reject the panel’s recommendation. Though there was conflicting testimony during the 11 hour hearing, the panel concluded that Hill committed an act of sexual battery, which, as punishment, carries an automatic expulsion. The panel also found a number of other reasons to expel the 17 year old, including that he bullied his teammate, committed an obscene act, and caused or attempted to cause injury to another student.