The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office said the State’s Attorney’s Office “stated that this incident does not meet criteria for a hate crime.”
Source: Chris Menahan | Information Liberation
Five African-American students seen pummeling a 14-year-old white boy on a school bus in a video released last week have been charged with misdemeanor battery.
From WCTV, “Five Hamilton Co. students charged for school bus attack caught on video”:
JASPER, Fla. (WCTV) –The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office says five students face misdemeanor battery charges after a fight on a school bus.
Video of the November 21 attack shows the students punching at a teen sitting in a bus seat.
[…] Superintendent Rex Mitchell says the school district investigated, disciplined the students, and turned information over to the sheriff’s office for action.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office said the State’s Attorney’s Office “stated that this incident does not meet criteria for a hate crime.”
Though I don’t believe children should be charged with hate crimes, in September an 11-year-old white girl was charged with a felony hate crime for beating up an 10-year-old black girl on a school bus.
Additionally, last month a white 14-year-old boy was hit with felony hate crime charges over a “slave for sale” joke ad on Craigslist.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office’s statement did not say why the State’s Attorney’s Office felt the incident “does not meet criteria for a hate crime” but one can imagine the reason is because the victim was white.
The Hamilton County School District Superintendent Rex Mitchell released a statement claiming the attack was “completely unrelated to any political statements or agendas” and unrelated to any apparel (i.e. Trump hat) the student wore in the past.
The boy’s mother said last month on Twitter her son faced increased bullying after he wore his Trump hat to school in the past but was not wearing it at the time of the attack.
Wow guess the video wasn’t good enough