HARVEY, La. (WGNO) — A Kentucky man accused of making hate crime threats toward a Harvey school has been sentenced to spend time in prison.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana reported that on Oct. 14, 2020, 24-year-old Brian Adams transmitted a threat to a fifth-grade class at Laureate Academy Charter School.
Adams reportedly made racial epithets toward students and teachers, saying that he would “hang them by a tree,” in the midst of virtual learning over Zoom.
Court documents revealed that Adams pled guilty to transmitting threatening communications, with the court finding his actions “motivated by hate.”
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said the prosecution should make it clear that hate crime perpetrators hiding behind a computer will be held accountable.
Adams was sentenced to serve one year and a day in prison in addition to a year of unsupervised release.
“No child should ever have to endure racially motivated hatred like this in a classroom, a school or anywhere else. The Justice Department is committed to protecting children from such hate-filled assaults and to safeguarding their right to a safe and secure education,” said Clarke.
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