Middle school students in Maryland and Florida have been charged with racially-motivated hate crimes in separate and unrelated incidents in the same week. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a program to combat hate crimes across the country.
On Thursday, March 10, the Frederick County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) in Maryland responded to an incident at the Middletown Middle School, where some Black students received threats. Todd Wivell from the FCSO told CNN that three White students, who attended the eighth grade, had been charged for the hate crime. One of the kids was also charged for possession of a firearm.
The spokesperson said that the school administrators were able to take the proper steps to prevent the incident from escalating and ensure the safety of the school community. Members of the FCSO interviewed the students involved in the presence of their parents or guardians while further actions like inspection of devices and social media activities, as well as searches in the students' houses, were undertaken.
Names of the three middle school students in Maryland were not publicly released as the investigations are still ongoing. They are, however, barred from stepping into the campus until the completion of the probe.
Hate Crime as Revenge?
In Florida, five middle school students of color, between the sixth to eighth grades, have been charged with hate crimes, battery, and third-degree felony. The children from Lyons Creek Middle School were involved in an incident in the recreation center across their school on Wednesday, March 9.
According to the Coconut Creek Police Department, the kids were harassing and attacking White students unprovoked. One victim said that one of the boys used a stick to hit his leg. His father felt this was an "act of revenge," alluding to slavery in the 1700s.
Parents were alerted to the attacks, but a father said that the school officials "can't do anything" as the incident was out of school property. He also said that his son does not feel safe going back to school anymore.
Coconut Creek Police Chief Butch Arenal said that attacks like this are rare, and it was likely due to poor judgment on the children's part. The police said they are working with the victims to properly deal with the perpetrators to pacify conflicts between races.
Hate Crimes Rise by 44 percent
A report from the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism in California State University cites that several of America's populous cities had an uptick in hate crimes in 2021. Sixteen cities had the biggest rise in cases, with Los Angeles and New York leading the count.
The FBI defines hate crimes as a criminal offense launched against a person or property spurred and motivated by a bias against a certain religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. The most targeted minority groups for hate crimes are Black Americans and Jewish communities, but attacks against Asian Americans increased by 324 percent in 2021. The number might be higher because some hate crimes go unreported.
Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced the launch of United Against Hate, an outreach program for marginalized communities to connect with law enforcement officials at all levels directly. The program has received additional resources to deploy and render help for minority communities.
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