Overview

It was a crime that captured national attention. In the idyllic suburb of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, four of the town's most popular high school athletes were accused of raping a retarded young woman while nine of their teammates watched. Everyone was riveted by the question: What went wrong in this seemingly flawless American town? In search of the answer, Bernard Lefkowitz takes the reader behind Glen Ridge's manicured facade into the shadowy basement that was the scene of the rape, into the mansions on ""Millionaire's Row,"" into the All-American high school, and finally into the courtroom where justice itself was on trial. Lefkowitz's sweeping narrative, informed by more than 200 interviews and six years of research, recreates a murky adolescent world that parents didn't-or wouldn't-see: a high school dominated by a band of predatory athletes; a teenage culture where girls were frequently abused and humiliated at sybaritic and destructive parties, and a town that continued to embrace its celebrity athletes-despite the havoc they created-as ""our guys."" But that was not only true of Glen Ridge; Lefkowitz found that the unqualified adulation the athletes received in their town was echoed in communities throughout the nation. Glen Ridge was not an aberration. The clash of cultures and values that divided Glen Ridge, Lefkowitz writes, still divides the country. Parents, teachers, and anyone concerned with how children are raised, how their characters are formed, how boys and girls learn to treat each other, will want to read this important book.

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9780520205963

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Reviews

"“Extraordinary. A calm, methodical, painstakingly researched, and important book that should be read by parents and educators alike.” * New York Times * “One of the most essential . . . reads in recent memory.” * Atlanta Journal-Constitution * “Heartbreaking. . . . A brave and unequivocating book, as important as Susan Brownmiller’s Against Our Will.” * Newsday * ""A shocking and horrifying example of cultural dysfunction that, the author asserts, is not limited to Glen Ridge.""  * Kirkus Reviews * ""Parents, teachers, and others need to understand what Lefkowitz so capably exposes about the 'All-American' male cultural setting. Highly recommended for a broad readership."" * Library Journal * ""Lefkowitz has written a compelling account of the incident and the resulting trials. He examines a part of American culture that appears to condone wildness and aggression in its young males and passive servitude in the females. . . . Highly recommended.""  * Booklist * ""This passionate, compassionate true-crime tale looks past the perps and their coconspirators to indict an entire way of life."" * Entertainment Weekly *"

A scathing indictment of the seemingly paradisiacal town of Glen Ridge, N.J., which bred the young men who brutally raped a retarded teenager - and have yet to pay the price for it. Edgar-winning author Lefkowitz (Tough Change: Growing Up on Your Own In America, 1987, etc.) began his research by attending the graduation ceremonies of Glen Ridge's class of 1989, which included four young men who had recently been arrested on rape charges. At post-graduation parties the men were greeted, according to Lefkowitz, like returning warriors . . . martyred heros. Not present was the young woman, known to her many of her violators since kindergarten. She had been lured into a basement where, among other acts of violence, a a baseball bat was inserted into her vagina. Although only four men were ultimately tried for the crime, at least nine others were present during some part of the assault. The girl, threatened with retaliation if she told, was slow to reveal the story. It was three months before it began to leak out to authorities. Lefkowitz wondered why and has put together a frightening story of an insular and prosperous town that honored achievement - including the achievement of its successful adolescent male athletes - above almost everything. Adolescent women were considered inferior and, more particularly, as rewards reserved by right for the football stars. The Glen Ridge rapists, who already had a long history of aberrant behavior (including masturbating in class), were just such stars, and the town rallied blindly to support and protect them, first by denying that the crime had happened and then by circulating a blame-the-victim, boys-will-be-boys defense. The young men who were convicted of rape are still free on bail pending an appeal. A shocking and horrifying example of cultural dysfunction that, the author asserts, is not limited to Glen Ridge. (Kirkus Reviews)

This passionate, compassionate true-crime tale looks past the perps and their coconspirators to indict an entire way of life. * Entertainment Weekly * Lefkowitz has written a compelling account of the incident and the resulting trials. He examines a part of American culture that appears to condone wildness and aggression in its young males and passive servitude in the females. . . . Highly recommended. * Booklist * Parents, teachers, and others need to understand what Lefkowitz so capably exposes about the 'All-American' male cultural setting. Highly recommended for a broad readership. * Library Journal * A shocking and horrifying example of cultural dysfunction that, the author asserts, is not limited to Glen Ridge. * Kirkus Reviews * Heartbreaking. . . . A brave and unequivocating book, as important as Susan Brownmiller's Against Our Will. * Newsday * One of the most essential . . . reads in recent memory. * Atlanta Journal-Constitution * Extraordinary. A calm, methodical, painstakingly researched, and important book that should be read by parents and educators alike. * New York Times *

Author Information

Bernard Lefkowitz, an Edgar award-winning author, has written three earlier books on social issues, including Tough Change: Growing Up on Your Own in America (1987). He teaches journalism at Columbia University.

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