Hate crime charge for teen recorded whipping classmate

HOUMA, La. (AP) — Authorities in Louisiana charged a white high schooler with a hate crime after he was recorded throwing cotton balls at a Black student and then hitting him with his belt. Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Tim Soignet says the 15-year-old freshman at Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma was arrested Tuesday. A video shows him throwing a handful of cotton balls at the Black student and then whipping him repeatedly in the crowded cafeteria. The target of the attack then stands up and pushes the white student away. An archdiocese statement says there’s no tolerance for racist or bullying behavior.