12-year-old Connecticut girl accused of hate crime on Muslim classmates
A 12-year-old Connecticut girl accused of assaulting two of her Muslim classmates earlier this month has been charged with a hate crime, authorities announced.
The pre-teen, who was not identified, is facing counts of first- and second-degree intimidation based on bigotry and bias, according to a joint statement from Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski, Jr., the Waterbury Police Department and the Waterbury Department of Education.
A second unidentified student was also referred to a youth diversionary program instead of being arrested.
The altercation unfolded on March 3 at Wallace Middle School, police said. It involved four seventh-grade girls ranging from 11 to 13 years old, including twins who regularly wear hijabs, according to the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
They said the girls were targeted because of their Muslim beliefs, and sustained 'minor injuries' during the scuffle, per the news release. The twins did not require medical attention at the time, authorities noted.
Following an investigation, police determined 'the altercation was motivated by religion and/or ethnicity meeting the legal definition of a hate crime.' School officials also labeled it 'an incident of bullying,' according to the news release.
'The students who instigated the incident will be properly disciplined by the school district and face appropriate consequences in the judicial system,' Pernerewski said. He noted the altercation was 'an isolated incident' and not 'part of a widespread problem.'
CAIR in a statement took issue with mayor's assessment, but did praise law enforcement for making an arrest in the case.
'We vehemently disagree with Waterbury's assessment that this was an isolated case,' Farhan Memon, chairman of CAIR-CT, told the Connecticut Insider. 'We've heard from other parents of Muslim students that their kids have been harassed because of their religion. This result should send a message that bias-motivated actions will not be tolerated in our schools.'
If convicted of a the first-degree felony, the 12-year-old suspect faces up to 10 years in prison. The second-degree charge can come with a sentence of up to five years and a fine of $5,000.
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USA Today
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Divisions deepen in wealthy, liberal Boulder after antisemitic attack
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After the attack, someone posted "Wanted" signs on the Pearl Street Mall just steps from the scene, naming the majority of city council members as guilty of "complicity in genocide" for refusing to pass a ceasefire resolution and not divesting from businesses that are helping Israel wage its war against Hamas. "Not only has the rhetoric become increasingly centered around violence and division but we have an increasing amount of cowardice, from cowardly administrators, cowardly government officials," said Adam Rovner, who directs the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Denver. "We're seeing it much more clearly now. And unfortunately Jewish communities are paying the cost." Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, faces more than 118 state and federal charges in connection with the attack, including hate-crime accusations. Investigators say he confessed and remains unrepentant, telling them he deliberately targeted the marchers because he considered them a "Zionist Group." Divisions continue after Pearl Street attack Amid the extreme positions on the Israel-Hamas war, Run for their Lives believed most people could get behind their message. The national Run for their Lives organization has sponsored walks or runs in hundreds of cities and towns since Oct. 7, 2023, the day of the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust in which over 1,000 people were killed and 240 were taken hostage. As of June 5, 56 hostages are still being held by Hamas, although that number includes both the living and presumed dead. On June 1, as she had dozens of times in the past, Turnquist was pushing her Australian shepherd Jake in a stroller as the group made its way past the historic Boulder County Courthouse on Pearl Street pedestrian mall. 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STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY AND FAMILY SPOKESPERSON MICHELLE D. BERNARD Following Open-Casket Memorial for Dr. Marvin Boomer, Jr.
OAKLAND, Calif., June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Good afternoon, beloved community. We gather here today not merely in mourning, but in righteous indignation. We gather in remembrance—but also in resistance. Because a son of Oakland, a son of this nation, a brilliant Black man named Dr. Marvin Boomer, Jr., has been stolen from us. Now I stand here today not only as an attorney, but as a sister in the struggle. I speak not only as a legal representative, but as a mother, a daughter, a woman who has seen too many families crushed under the weight of injustice. I speak with a heavy heart and a righteous fire, because Marvin Boomer, Jr. should be alive today. He was not caught in a storm of his own making. He was not a suspect. He was not a statistic. He was a scholar, a teacher, a lover of justice, a defender of Black dignity. He was walking with his partner, Nina, when he saw death coming and put her safety before his own. He died a hero. And we will not allow that heroism to be silenced by bureaucratic excuses or policy failures cloaked in blue. So we say his name today: Dr. Marvin Boomer, Jr. And we will keep saying it until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. Let me be clear: had this happened in Mill Valley, or Tiburon, or Stanford, or Woodside—if this had happened on streets paved with privilege and protection—Marvin Boomer would be alive. But in East Oakland, where Black and Brown lives are too often deemed expendable, the rules were different. The pursuit policies were different. And the consequences, as always, were deadly. This family is not only grieving—they are standing tall. They are saying enough is enough. And I am honored—deeply honored—to represent them in their pursuit of truth, accountability, and justice. So now, I invite you to meet the voices behind the pain and the purpose: His mother, a queen among women, Ms. Tina Boomer. His father, steadfast and courageous, Mr. Marvin Boomer, Sr. His sisters, each a beacon of strength and grace: Tynesha Boomer, Deborah Martin, and Brittany Boomer. And the woman who loved him, and whose life he saved with his last breath, Ms. Nina Woodruff. Hear them. See them. Stand with them. And say his name with us—not just today, but until justice is served. #JusticeForDrMarvinBoomerJr#SayHisName#BlackLivesMatter#NoMoreRecklessPursuits May God bless this family. May God bless this movement. And may Dr. Marvin Boomer, Jr.'s legacy light the path forward—for all of us. Contact:Michelle D. Bernard, & CEO, The Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public PolicyEmail: mbernard@ (301) 807-2394 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public Policy Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
