Sod Swastika Brings Tough Penalty
Manassas mom says punishment doesn't fit the crime
NBCWashington
MANASSAS, Va. -- A Prince William County mom whose teenage sons helped shape sod into offensive and racist symbols is appealing the school district's recommended punishment.
Rae Roach's boys, ages 14 and 16, have been barred from Stonewall Jackson High School since the Aug. 25 incident, and now the school district wants to expel the students for a full year.
The boys were in a group of six friends that stumbled into some rolled up sod at a neighborhood elementary school. They used the grass to spell out "KKK" and "white power" and to form a swastika.
Because the teens had no prior record, juvenile court authorities put them in a diversion program, ordering community service and a visit to the Holocaust Museum.
Roach will get her chance to appeal the full-year expulsion directly to school board officials on Wednesday. She made no excuses for her sons' bad behavior but said they've learned from their mistake and need to be back in class.
Posted Monday, Oct 26, 2009 - 7:20 PM EST
