Teen charged with hate crime after recorded throwing cotton balls, whipping Black classmate: police

The 15-year-old freshman at Vandebilt Catholic Excessive College in Houma was arrested Tuesday on battery and hate crime costs after authorities reviewed a recording exhibiting what occurred contained in the cafeteria on March 9.

The video reveals the white pupil strolling up behind a Black pupil sitting within the crowded lunchroom. He throws a handful of cotton balls at him, after which whips him repeatedly together with his belt till the Black pupil stands and pushes him, information retailers reported.

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“I am very happy that the college took a entrance stand on this,” Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Tim Soignet stated in a information launch.

“After we obtained the grievance, we instantly put our detectives on it. They labored by the weekend so we might get up to now,” Soignet stated. “My officers did an excellent job dealing with it and dealing with the college to get this case to the place it’s now.”

Information retailers reported that the sufferer is considered one of only some Black college students on the faculty. Authorities did not determine the scholars, and it wasn’t clear if the arrested teen has a lawyer who might converse for him.

Vandebilt Catholic President Jeremy Gueldner stated the college doesn’t tolerate bullying or racism. These “actions by just a few usually are not per the values and mission of our college,” the archdiocese assertion stated.

The dad and mom of the kid who was focused thanked individuals for his or her assist.

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“We are going to proceed to wish for our college group as a complete, that we not solely get by this collectively however that we every be taught a worthwhile lesson from what has taken place,” the dad and mom stated within the archdiocese assertion.

Terrebonne Parish NAACP President Jerome Boykin additionally praised faculty officers and police for his or her swift response, saying the college and sheriff’s workplace “despatched a powerful message to the group that such a crime won’t be tolerated.”

“The younger man is simply 15 years of age and I hope that he can be taught from his mistake,” Boykin added.