Background to the assault Jena Six

1 background assault

1.1 noose hanging
1.2 repercussions
1.3 school arson, fight, , confrontation

background assault

jena high school

at jena high school, 10% of students black , 90% white, reflecting population of town of jena, has 3,000 people. reporting indicated students of different races seldom sat together, instance in cafeteria, although has been disputed. according reports of school environment, black students when outside typically sat on bleachers near auditorium, while white students sat under large tree in center of school courtyard, referred white tree or prep tree . according of school s teachers , administrators, tree in question not white tree, , students of races had sat under @ 1 time or another.

at school assembly held on august 31, 2006, black male freshman asked principal whether sit under tree. according donald washington, united states attorney western district of louisiana, principal said question posed in jocular fashion . principal told students sit wherever wanted . cnn reported freshman , friends sat under tree.

noose hanging

the following morning, students , staff discovered rope nooses hanging tree; reports differ whether there 2 or 3 nooses. black teacher described seeing both white , black students playing [the nooses], pulling on them, jump-swinging them, , putting heads through them same day. craig franklin, assistant editor of jena times, said nooses hung prank 3 students directed @ white members of school rodeo team. school s investigating committee had concluded 3 young teens had no knowledge nooses symbolize terrible legacy of lynchings of countless blacks in american history. names of hung nooses not publicly disclosed.

repercussions

the school disciplinary process followed unclear. reported principal learned 3 white students responsible , recommended expulsion, board of education overruled recommendation, , school superintendent roy breithaupt agreed overruling. reported punishment reduced 3 days of in-school suspension. under district s crisis management policy procedures, 3 students isolated @ alternative school month , spent 2 weeks on in-school suspension, served saturday detentions, had attend discipline court, referred families in need of services, , had have evaluation before able return school.

the school superintendent quoted saying, adolescents play pranks. don t think threat against anybody. black residents of jena have said comment stoked racial tensions leading subsequent events.

according attorney donald washington, federal bureau of investigation (fbi) investigators found hanging of nooses had markings of hate crime . but, not prosecuted such since juveniles prosecuted in federal system, , offense did not meet departmental standards charges brought. la salle parish district attorney j. reed walters stated washington had found no federal statute under teens prosecuted, had found no applicable state statute. walters opined: people [hung nooses] should ashamed of unleashed on town.

the school treated incident , called police school in days after noose incident. principal called assembly on september 6, 2006. jena police department asked parish attorney walters attend , speak @ assembly. pressed time due case under preparation, walters felt students not paying proper attention him. warned them, can best friend or worst enemy. stroke of pen can make life miserable or ruin life. want call me before stupid. though black students walters looking @ them when made comments, walters , school board member billy fowler, present, deny it. walters said irritated @ 2 or 3 girls, white girls, [who] chit-chatting on cellphones or playing cellphones .

school arson, fight, , confrontation

on november 30, 2006, main building of high school destroyed arson. although many months before perpetrators known, news media later cited fire racially charged event leading assault on barker. on december 28, 2007, lasalle parish sheriff- elect scott franklin announced investigation had shown fire set in effort destroy grade records in building , close school time. 6 male suspects (three juveniles , 3 adults) had been arrested, , 2 more adult males being sought. racially diverse. franklin indicated fire not racially motivated, , had no connection jena six. 2 of arson defendants pleaded guilty, , sentenced ten years in prison, restitution ordered in amount of $10 million.

the gotta go convenience store outside jena, louisiana

on december 1, 2006, private party held @ jena fair barn. bailey , 4 other black youths tried enter party @ 11:00 p.m. according u.s. attorney washington, told woman no 1 allowed inside without invitation. youths persisted, stating friends @ party. white male, not student, moved in front of woman , fight ensued. after fight broke up, woman told both white male , black students leave party. once outside, black students involved in fight group of white males not students. justin sloan, white male, charged battery role in fight , put on probation. bailey later said 1 of white males broke beer bottle on head, there no records of bailey receiving medical treatment.

the following day, incident occurred @ gotta go convenience store, outside jena in unincorporated lasalle parish, between matt windham , 3 black youths, including bailey. law enforcement reported accounts contradicted each other. windham alleged bailey , friends chased him, ran gun, , students wrestled away him. according black students, left convenience store, confronted windham shotgun. said wrestled gun away him , fled scene. bailey charged disturbing peace, second-degree robbery, , theft of firearm.