Thomas Perez

The FBI announced on Wednesday the sentencing of three grown men for taunting African-American middle school students in Louisiana.

James Lee Wallis, Tony L. Johnson and Brial Wallis admitted to hanging a dead raccoon from a noose on a flagpole in front of Beekman Junior High School, in Beekman, Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, out of anger at the school’s new busing policy. They admitted to wanting to scare African-American students away from the school.

James Lee got eight months, Brian Wallis got five months and Johnson got six months, while all three received an additional year of supervised release, during which they must attend a “cultural diversity and sensitivity program,” says the FBI.

“Every child, regardless of race, is entitled to an education free from intimidation or discrimination,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in a statement. “Unfortunately, acts of hate such as this one are all too common in this country in 2012.”

By Danny Fenster

A group of three southerners had the idea to construct a large wooden cross, bring it to the yard of a local African-America resident of Arkansas, and light the cross on fire before driving away; now the three have been sentenced to 18 months in prison, the FBI announced in a statement on Friday.

Bradley Branscum, 23, and Curtis Coffee, 19, of Batesville, Ark., were sentenced for charges relating to the Aug. 28, 2010 crossburning incident. Tony Branscum, 26 and first cousin to Bradley, was sentenced on Jan. 20.

The African America resident was not injured, according to the FBI, and there was no damage to his home. Still, the defendants had pleaded guilty to interfering with the housing rights of another, says the FBI.

“The defendants acted to instill fear because of the victim’s race,” Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, said. “The Department of Justice remains committed to protecting our communities from such violence and will continue to aggressively prosecute these acts.”