Bias crime, yes — but no peeing during Lawrence H.S. game, cops say

LAWRENCE (Mercer) —Girls who said they were urinated on by boys during a football game at Lawrence High School on Oct. 18 may actually have been sprayed with water or soda, police said Friday.

Two 17-year-old students were charged with ridiculing, insulting and mocking several black middle school students in the bleachers during that game.The high school boys, who police said were of Indian descent, were taken into custody the next day on multiple charges of bias intimidation and harassment for making derogatory comments and using a black slur.

One of the suspects was charged with lewdness for allegedly urinating on one or more girls. But Police Chief Brian Caloiaro on Friday said that an investigation concluded that the students may "had some type of liquid, possibly water or soda, not urine, thrown in their direction while they were in the vicinity of the auxiliary/overflow section of the bleachers."

The investigation, however, did support the claim that "racially derogatory language" was used by teens during Lawrence's homecoming game against Hamilton's Steinart High School.

A charge of harassment was filed against a third 17-year-old teen.

The story went viral on Facebook after a post by the mother of one of the victims was shared by Trenton Councilman Jerrell Blakey the next day.

The suspects were released to the custody of their parents, pending an appearance in Family Court. Because the teens are underage, court proceedings will be closed to the public and their names will not be released.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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