Teen arrested in connection with noose found at RHAM
A 17-year-old RHAM High School has been arrested in connection with a noose found hanging in the boys’ locker room last Friday, state police said Thursday.
The teen, who was not identified because of his age, is charged on a warrant with placing a noose on public or private property and second-degree breach of peace, state police said.
State police said the warrant was obtained after an investigation that included reviewing video surveillance and numerous interviews.
Colin Mcnamara, superintendent for Regional School District 8, has said a staff member found a noose hanging in the boys’ locker room. The staff member removed the noose and contacted the school administration. The district then contacted the Hebron
Police Department and the Connecticut State Police to begin an investigation, Mcnamara said.
“As a school district, we do not and will not tolerate harassment or any other inappropriate conduct toward any of students,” Mcnamara said in a statement Tuesday. “That sort of behavior has absolutely no place in a school setting.”
He said, also Tuesday, that the administration contacted state and local authorities “immediately,” and the school is cooperating with the police. He said anyone involved in the incident “will be held accountable.”
Members of the NAACP in Connecticut said Tuesday they were looking for law enforcement to pursue an arrest and a conviction after the RHAM High School staff found the noose hanging in the boys’ locker room last Friday.
Connecticut NAACP
President Scot X. Esdaile and Windham/willimantic NAACP President Leah Ralls spoke outside of RHAM High School in Hebron Tuesday with a crowd of supporters around them. They demanded police and school administration seriously investigate the incident and seek an arrest.
Ralls said Tuesday the NAACP is expecting state, federal and local law enforcement to “pursue a conviction” and consider the incident as a hate crime. Esdaile said he wants to make sure police follow all “protocols and precautions” and are investigating the incident fully.
“This is a very, very, very serious incident. This is very, very, very deeprooted. The Black community has to take this serious,” Esdaile said. “We’re not going to wait until a person is hanging from one of those nooses.”