White Men Who Put Bike Lock On Black Man's Neck Found Not Guilty Of Hate Crimes

White Men Who Put Bike Lock On Black Man’s Neck Found Not Guilty Of Hate Crimes

In 2014, we reported about an African-American San Jose University student who suffered abuse at the hands of his white roommates towards the end of last year is about to have the last laugh all the way to the bank.

The student sued the school for $5 million for racial bullying but according to the white roommates, the harassment was just a mindless joke. According to NBC BAY Area, the white students have been found not guilty of the hate crime charges:

Three students charged in a high-profile 2013 hate crime case at San Jose State University, where an African-American freshman had a bike lock put around his neck, were found guilty of misdemeanor battery Monday but escaped conviction on hate crime allegations.

The defendants in the case, Colin Warren of Woodacre and Logan Beaschler of Bakersfield, now 20, and Joseph “Brett” Bomgardner, 21, of Clovis were charged in varying degrees to allegedly subjecting Donald Williams Jr., who was 17, to repeated bullying that prosecutors say rose to the level of a hate crime during the fall of 2013.

All three were convicted Monday by a Santa Clara County Superior Court jury of misdemeanor battery.

However, Bomgardner was found not guilty of misdemeanor commission of a hate crime by use of force and Judge Thang Barrett declared a mistrial on similar hate crime allegations against Beaschler and Warren after the jury deadlocked on those charges. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office says it will consider asking for a retrial on the hate crime charges.

Racism is never a joke!

Images via: Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group