Race Relations in 21st Century America

The Mississippi chapter of the NAACP is calling for a federal investigation of a possible hate crime after an African-American football player at a southern Mississippi high school allegedly had a noose placed around his neck and yanked backward by a teammate.

[...]

The alleged victim in the attack, a sophomore member of the football team, was not physically harmed but was "terrified" by the incident, [Derrick Johnson, president of the Mississippi chapter of the NAACP] said.

  ESPN

Yes, that would be terrifying, and quite likely traumatizing.

John Feaster, the first-year head coach for the Stone Tomcats, told ESPN the incident happened inside the football locker room as players were getting ready for practice.

[...]

"The individual that was responsible hasn't been with our team since the incident. I just want it understood, it could have been the biggest superstar and he would have been gone. I don't care who it is -- if you do something like that, you can't be part of our team," Feaster added.

[...]

Johnson told ESPN that at least three students, all of them white, were involved in the incident but Feaster, the head coach, disputed those details.

"To my knowledge it was one individual. It was not a group," Feaster said.

Perhaps it was only one individual holding the rope. This kind of thing rarely (if ever?) involves just one individual. These kinds of overt acts of racism and attacks are more likely carried out by several individuals or a pack.

Stone County Sheriff’s Capt. Ray Boggs said officials believe something close to what the [family of the alleged victim] described did happen and he’s still investigating. He said all the students involved are younger than 17 and he expects any charges would be filed in youth court, where records are closed to the public.

[...]

Johnson said he wants the teenagers charged as adults, as Mississippi law allows in some cases for children older than 13 and younger than 18.

[...]

Johnson said Stacey Payton [mother of the alleged victim] was advised against filing a police report because the father of one of the alleged assailants is a former law enforcement officer. Boggs said he talked to Stacey Payton and that’s not true. He said he told her that pursuing criminal charges could result in hard feelings among students that could make her son’s life more difficult at school.

  CBS

Same sentiment.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.