Police: 2 teens arrested for bias incident at Lawrence football game

Two teenagers were arrested Friday for allegedly taunting black middle schoolers and possibly urinating on one at the Lawrence High School homecoming game.

News 12 Staff

Oct 21, 2019, 8:55 PM

Updated 1,893 days ago

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Two teenagers were arrested Friday for allegedly taunting black middle schoolers and possibly urinating on one at the Lawrence High School homecoming game.
The high school students were at the top of the bleachers yelling at the younger students, who were on the ground behind the stands. Superintendent Ross Kasun says the exchange went "over the edge" and one girl may have been urinated on.
"It's difficult because one of the things Lawrence Township prides itself on is our sort of inclusivity, that we pride ourselves on our diversity," says Mayor Chris Bobbitt.
School officials and police were at the game but didn't find out about the incident until social media posts late Friday night.
The Lawrence Township Police Department announced the arrest in a tweet on Saturday.
The 17-year-olds are charged with harassment, bias intimidation and lewdness.
Neither police nor the district have been able to confirm what exactly was said and if anyone was urinated on. The investigation is ongoing.
Kasun tells News 12 he has seen videos of the incident but it's difficult to hear exactly what was being said. He says the process is frustrating for some who have seen reports with different versions of the truth on social media.
"People want to vent, people want justice, I think people need to understand there's a difference between justice and vengeance," Bobbit said. "And that you know honestly, in order for justice to occur, we need to follow the right procedure, right steps and follow the truth and get to that and deal with people appropriately."
A news conference revealing more details is expected on Tuesday.