Sex Charge Dropped In Butt Drag Case

1-28-2011 California:

Fresno, Calif. (KMPH News) – It's dragged on long enough. Now the debate over a controversial wrestling move is over. At least for the two young wrestlers involved.

"We got the case dismissed," Stephen Quade said. "I don't know how it can be any better than that."

Stephen Quade represents 17–year–old Preston Hill. The former captain of the Buchanan High wrestling team was accused of violating a teammate during wrestling hold — called the butt drag.

"What he did at the time was a wrestling move that he's been taught since elementary school," Quade told reporters outside Fresno County Juvenile Court.

Hill has maintained he did not do anything wrong and Thursday a judge dismissed the sexual assault charge filed against him.

"Preston never accepted any deal," Quade said. "He never had to make an admission and he never would have."

But, Hill and his accuser did have to attend a tolerance training course and write an essay about lessons learned.

"They went through a program called SHARE. I think they gained perspective on the whole process and he was held accountable at Clovis Unified and that was our ultimate goal," the accuser's father Ross Rice said.

The program both boys had to attend was put on by members of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. It's called (SHARE) Stop Hate and Respect Everyone.

Ross Rice says his 15–year–old son and Hill are ready to move on and bury the hatchet.

"I believe so. Will they get together and have coffee? Probably not. But, I think my son has grown passed that," Rice said. "He wants to be an advocate for bullying. It's a high profile problem nationwide. He wants to get his story out on anti–bullying."

As for Hill? His attorney is still fighting his expulsion from school. Quade says the experience has not changed Hill's plans to pursue a future in wrestling. ..Source.. Norma Yuriar

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Coaches clarify 'butt drag' in school wrestling case


What exactly is "butt dragging?"

The obscure wrestling move, suddenly in the spotlight as a Buchanan High School athlete faces criminal charges, is hard to define. It's not in any manual, and few coaches or athletes use the same words to describe it.

In a front-page story Sunday about the case, The Bee reported that the move involves a wrestler grabbing a rival's butt cheek and putting fingers in the anus to get leverage. In a clarification published today on page A2, the newspaper notes that coaches say it involves grabbing the butt cheek of a rival. Coaches vary on how often anal penetration occurs, but they say that it should never be intentional.

Former Fresno State wrestling coach Dennis DeLiddo emphasized this point in a statement he issued this week as controversy over the case grew.

"I have never taught, nor am I aware of any coach who has ever taught a wrestler to penetrate someone's anus while executing the butt drag," DeLiddo wrote.


"On extreme rare occasions, a person's finger could inadvertently be placed between the person's butt cheeks while legitimately executing the move. In no circumstance, however, would there ever be penetration of the anus unless someone was purposefully cheating and doing something other than what is known as 'the butt drag.' "

Some area coaches have told The Bee that penetration -- inadvertent or intentional -- can occur.

"I'm not going to say anal penetration never happens," Fresno City College coach Paul Keysaw said. "But I absolutely, unequivocally say 'no' that a coach would ever teach his kids to shove fingers up another kid's rectum. That's just a dangerous path to take."


According to a police report, Preston Hill, the wrestler accused of sexual battery, said he inserted his two fingers between his opponent's buttocks for three seconds as a wrestling tactic, because he wanted to get the boy to wrestle him.

"Everyone does this to motivate people who don't move on the mats," Hill said, according to the police report.

DeLiddo wrote: "I can only think of one or two wrestlers over the last 50 years of wrestling and coaching wrestling where I heard they would try to penetrate someone's anus while executing the 'butt drag.' Those were also the same wrestlers that would gouge other wrestler's eyes when they were in a position to hide it from the referee. Everyone knew who those wrestlers were and everyone viewed them as cheaters. No one has any respect for them." ..Source..