Resiliency in the Face of Adversity

As a promising high school football player in Southern California, Banks was accused by a female student of kidnapping and rape. On the advice of his lawyers, he pled no contest and spent five years in prison. After his release, his accuser’s account of events was proven false and Banks was exonerated. He went on to pursue his dream to be a professional football player, attended several NFL mini-camps and played in one pre-season game. He presently works for the NFL’s head office.

Besides speaking to Greenwood students, Banks will also tell his story later that day to the Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club.

Brian’s story became widely known when it was the subject of a piece on 60 Minutes. While his story is inspirational and offers up important moral lessons about justice and never giving up on your dreams, it also raises topical issues related to the recent troubling behavior of several NFL players and concerns about how institutions and the criminal justice system respond to violence against women. Students and their advisers will discuss these two issues in the adviser session following Banks’ speech.

Our hope is that our students will emulate Banks’ dedication, commitment, and integrity. But we also want them to understand that though the accuser in the Brian Banks story lied, her behavior is not the reality in most instances of sexual assault.

We encourage you to watch the 60 Minutes clip with your children and to discuss it with them. Taking part in this unique and compelling experience – and examining it in the context of wider issues in our society – allows our students to better understand the importance of character, responsibility, advocacy and our commitment to justice.