Author of book that inspired 'Mean Girls' movie weighs in on Seneca Valley 'mean girls' lawsuit

Oct. 06--A federal lawsuit filed in Pittsburgh last week calls out five "mean girls" who allegedly conspired to falsely accuse a classmate at Seneca Valley High School of sexual assault.

The phrase, used in the lawsuit, might bring to mind the 2004 movie and cultural touchstone "Mean Girls."

The movie details the buds and thorns of the high school experience -- deep friendships and happy memories along with painful bullying and gossip that could have a lasting impact.

"People knew immediately what I was talking about," said Rosalind Wiseman, author of the non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes, which served as the inspiration for the "Mean Girls" movie. The book examines girls' friendships, conflicts and the challenges they face as they grow up.

Though her book was first released in 2002, Wiseman said that she still sees these issues playing out in schools and on the national stage today.

"I think our political leaders are becoming the nastiest of mean girls," she said in an interview with the Tribune-Review.

But the allegations put forth in the lawsuit rise to a level of nastiness that Wiseman finds surprising. She has been studying the behavior of young people for 20 years and runs the organization Cultures of Dignity, which advocates for the physical and emotional well-being of young people.

"It was just such a blatant abuse of power and callousness," she said of the alleged actions of the girls mentioned in the lawsuit.

Wiseman noted that false accusations of sexual assault or rape are rare -- the National Sexual Violence Resource Center points to several studies that put the prevalence of false reporting between 2 percent and 10 percent. About 63 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to the police, according to the center.

But if true, Wiseman said the girls' actions would be a betrayal of every person, male or female, who struggles to report sexual assault.

The 26-page lawsuit alleges that a former Seneca Valley High School student, referred to only as T.F., "was forced to endure multiple court appearances, detention in a juvenile facility, detention at home, the loss of his liberty and other damages until several of the girls reluctantly admitted that their accusations were false."

T.F. was accused of sexual assault by female classmates on two occasions.

His parents, Michael J. and Alecia Flood, of Zelienople, Butler County, seek unspecified civil damages against the girls' parents, the school district and Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger's office.

Wiseman emphasized that bullying isn't just a girl problem.

"It really needs to be reinforced that boys and girls are capable of abusing power, and that boys and girls are capable of speaking out," she said.

Wiseman also pointed out that bullying isn't limited to young people. Adults and people in power do it, too, she said.

"Adults more and more act like the worst stereotypes of the mean girls," she said.

Wiseman worries that some people will use this lawsuit as an excuse to avoid having conversations with boys about taking responsibility for behavior, or that it could be a way to minimize, mock or discredit victims who come forward about sexual assault.

"We can't listen to our national leaders about this," Wiseman said.

Jamie Martines is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jamie at 724-850-2867, jmartines@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Jamie_Martines.

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