Photo via Twitter / @ProspectsReport
For some people, high school is the peak of their lives. You're likely at the top of your athletic prime, you've got a built-in social network, and life still feels fresh, despite all the angst. But for Sidney Bouvier Gilstrap-Portley, he didn't just want the memories—he wanted the whole enchilada all over again.Gilstrap-Portley, 25, was arrested this past Friday for posing as a 17-year-old high school freshman after selling Skyline High School on a story about being a homeless Hurricane Harvey survivor named Rashun Richardson, according to Dallas News. A few months later, Gilstrap-Portley transferred over to another Dallas area high school, Hillcrest, so he could play basketball. The only problem? Gilstrap-Portley had already attended and graduated high school seven years ago from North Mesquite High School, just 15 miles away. He even had a college career at Dallas Christian College.The jig was up when Gilstrap-Portley was recognized at a tournament in April by one of his former North Mesquite coaches. The coach then tipped off the Hillcrest coach about his star player's double life. In basketball terms, this was too bad for Gilstrap-Portley (err… Richardson), as he was voted the District 11-5A offensive player of the year for the 2017-2018 season. He was even getting some prospect buzz:
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Non-basketball-wise, Gilstrap-Portley engaged in some other questionable activity, such as dating a 14-year-old girl. Dallas News spoke to the girl's mother:
The woman said she had never approved of her daughter's relationship and wasn't comfortable with her dating a 17-year-old freshman.
She said her daughter told her she did not have a sexual relationship with Gilstrap-Portley.
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The school had checked "Rashun Richardson's" enrollment history before admitting him, and they found documentation showing he was enrolled at Skyline and South Houston high schools. But "Richardson" hadn't played basketball at Skyline because he had not had a physical. Presumably, this caused him to move on to Hillcrest.Dallas ISD spokesperson Robyn Harris said that Gilstrap-Portley's "primary motivation" for lying and enrolling was to relive his basketball glory days."He took that as an opportunity to gain access to our schools," Harris said. "He was fairly savvy to be able to utilize that type of position, knowing that we were accepting Harvey students."Gilstrap-Portley was arrested on a charge of tampering with government records and later bonded out of Dallas County Jail.Sorry, dude. Glory days are over."He was always respectful to me. He said he understood my concerns but said that he was only 17 and that he didn't see a problem with them dating."