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Criminally Stupid NJ Teens Won't Be Charged For Lynching Photo
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 18, 2014
Modified Apr 18, 2014
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 18, 2014
Modified Apr 18, 2014
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A NJ county prosecutor has decided not to press charges against a group of idiotic teens.
Earlier this year, a photograph of wrestlers from Phillipsburg High School emerged—and the picture was of them posing with a "lynched" wrestling dummy. The dummy was wearing a t-shirt from rival Paulsboro High School and some of the wrestlers in the picture have their sweatshirt hoods deliberately pointed up. The teens insisted the photo "was to promote school spirit and portray our wrestling team as victor over two of our archrivals" and blamed it on their youth:
We are truly sorry for any harm we may have caused. We are especially sorry to the Paulsboro wrestling team, the coaches and the entire Paulsboro community. As teenage boys transitioning into adulthood, we are constantly facing challenges to become more responsible and productive young men. In that transition, we have made mistakes, and understandably will have further transgressions. Yet from this photograph — we have learned a valuable lesson, that all actions have consequences.
Warren County Prosecutor Richard Burke said
, "Based upon the evidence obtained and the concurrence of the Attorney General's Office after reviewing the investigative file, no criminal charges will be filed at this time."
Now it's up to the high school to decide what punishment the students should get. As an editorial in the South Jersey Times put it, "It’s hard to believe that the Phillipsburg students — and they are students, not just wrestlers — would not know by the time they’re in high school the ugly history of lynching of black people in America and particularly the South. But if ignorance is a basis for the students to claim innocence of racism, it’s a strong indictment of what they are being taught — and not being taught — up there in Phillipsburg."
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phillipsburg high school
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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