UPDATE:

Originally, it was reported that two boys of “Indian Descent” were accused of urinating on and yelling racial slurs at a Black girl at a New Jersey high school football game. 

Now, police say only the latter actually happened, but it’s much worse than initially thought.

Authorities in Lawrence Township say there is no evidence to support allegations that anyone was urinated on at a high school football game. 

However, they do believe “racially derogatory language” was used during an alleged attack of a group of Black girls last month.

According to NBC News, investigators obtained evidence supporting allegations that students had some type of liquid, possibly soda or water, thrown in their direction in the football bleachers on October 18.

The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and Lawrence Township police in a statement on Friday (November 1) said there’s also evidence to support allegations that racist language was used by two 17-year-old males toward four African American middle schoolgirls. 

The investigation identified a third suspect who faces a charge of harassment and is also of “Indian descent.”

The prosecutor’s office say there were able to establish information surrounding the incident through witness interviews, statements and video footage taken at the football game.

The original two defendants were arrested last month and charged with four counts of bias intimidation, four counts of harassment, and one of the two was charged with two counts of lewdness.

PREVIOUS:

Two teenage boys of “Indian descent” allegedly urinated on a Black girl while using racially derogatory names at a high school football game in New Jersey.

The alleged incident took place at a Lawrence High School football game on Friday (October 18) night, NJ.com reports. 

Police said they opened an investigation into the possible bias crime after social media posts alleged someone urinated on another person while using racially derogatory names, NJ.com reports.

One parent’s social media post said a boy urinated on a Black middle school girl while using the n-word, according to NJ.com.

Two 17-year-old boys were arrested on Saturday (October 19), but it was not clear exactly what occurred during the alleged incident.

“The Lawrence Township Police Department and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office would like to announce the arrest of two 17 year old males that reside in Lawrence Township in connection with the Bias Incident that occurred at the Lawrence High School Football game last evening October 18, 2019,” Lawrence Township Mayor Christopher Bobbit wrote on Facebook. 

The boys, whose names were not released because they are minors, were charged with “multiple counts” of harassment, bias intimidation and lewdness. 

“The incident is still under investigation,” Mayor Bobbit added. “Detective Dan Gladney, Detective David Burns and Detective Ryan Dunn of the Lawrence Police are leading the investigation.” 

People reacted to the arrests with mixed feelings.

“Great news!” one person wrote in response to the Mayor’s FB post. “This was truly awful and should not be tolerated by anyone!!”

Another person wrote, “It’s a good start…”

And yet another wrote, “I hope they get some actual jail time in juvie or even adult jail. More likely though is they’ll get off with a slap on the wrist and ‘counseling’ or whatever.” 

After initially being alerted to the incident, Mayor Bobbit said he was “deeply disturbed by the account of the incident on Facebook,” and that he “immediately informed the Chief of Police, the Township Manager, and the School Board liaison to Township Council.”

“As I have said publicly before, hate has no home in Lawrence Township,” he wrote. 

“As someone that has felt its sting, I know that bigotry exists and sadly will continue to exist but that doesn’t mean that I give up,” Mayor Bobbit wrote. “Instead I look to find allies that will help me fight the cancer of bigotry.”