Crofton Noose Suspect Not Guilty Of Hate Crime

CROFTON, MD — Placing a symbol of racial strife and violence at a local school is not a hate crime, a judge has ruled in the case of a Pasadena man who admits he climbed up on the roof of Crofton Middle School to hang a noose. John Havermann, 19, of Pasadena, was convicted of trespassing, disturbing school operations and conspiracy to disturb school operations. He is scheduled to be sentenced Monday.

His attorney successfully argued that the wording of Maryland's hate crime law requires one specific person to be targeted, not a group. Without a specific victim named in the case, Havermann was not guilty, his lawyer says, while prosecutors call that argument "absurd."

Anne Arundel County Judge Paul Harris Jr. said prosecutors didn't prove Havermann acted out of hatred since they didn't name a specific victim harmed by the act, the Capital-Gazette reports. “The State did not produce any evidence that the Defendant harbored any animus or ill will towards the African-American principal, the African-American teacher whose classroom was directly exposed to the noose, or any individual person,” Harris wrote.

A teacher spotted the noose hanging from a light fixture on the exterior of the school, located at 2301 Davidsonville Road in Crofton, on May 11. A school custodian immediately took the object down and police were called. After watching video surveillance from the school, police determined that two suspects gained access to the building's roof and placed the noose on the light fixture.

Police spokesman Lt. Ryan Frashure previously told Patch that no note was left with the noose and police are still trying to determine the exact motive of the suspects. But police "obviously know the powerful visual meaning that is associated with a noose," Frashure said.

On May 12, Anne Arundel County Police arrested Conner Charles Prout, 19, for hanging the racially-charged object a day earlier. He pleaded guilty to a charge of race/religious belief — harass/commit a crime upon in October and was sentenced to 120 hours of community service to be completed under the direction of the Anne Arundel County NAACP.

In arguing that the law's use of the word "person" should be applied to multiple victims, State's Attorney Wes Adams says that "limiting the word 'person' used on the victim side of this statute would lead to an equally absurd conclusion when applied to the burning of a cross on a black family's home," reports the Capital-Gazette. "Which family member would the Defendant propose was targeted?"

Police posted still shots from the Crofton Middle School's security footage to social media and received multiple tips that named Prout as the person shown. When police went to his house, Prout admitted he was the man on the security footage.

Principal Nuria Miller told parents in a May 11 letter that the action sent a "disturbing" and "intolerant" message to the community. She added that the incident "is clearly disturbing on many levels. While it appears to have no connection to our instructional day or any instructional unit our students are currently studying, we cannot ignore the intolerant message this act conveys." She also vowed that it would not change the "inclusive and supportive school community."

Prout was sentenced to a suspended sentence of three years in prison and 18 months of supervised probation. In addition to the standard conditions of probation, Prout must complete 120 hours of community service under the direction of the NAACP. The sentence was devised in collaboration with the Rev. Stephen A. Tillett, president of the Anne Arundel County NAACP.

"We cannot tolerate any attempts to generate division within our community, especially when these acts affect our children," Adams said when Prout entered his plea. "Although the hurt felt by those who witnessed the noose cannot be undone, I appreciate that Mr. Prout is accepting responsibility for his actions. The ability to come together and fashion a positive resolution to such a deplorable incident speaks volumes to our community's commitment to moving forward toward equality."

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