UPDATE: Athens Student Caused Injuries to Herself
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A 13-year-old girl who claimed she was attacked by a group inside Athens Middle School was caught on a surveillance camera causing the injuries to herself.
The girl now faces disciplinary action from the school and will be charged with filing a false police report, AISD superintendent Fred Hayes said during a news conference today.
The parents of Melanie Bowers have since sent letters of apology to school and law enforcement investigators.
Hayes said officials in investigating the matter saw the tape that caught her scratching herself on the arms and neck. Last week she had claimed the injuries were inflicted by a group of about 20 students who also threatened to sexually assault and kill her.
{snip}
Hayes said Monday, a review of the allegations show that three students took the sign from her and that she reported the incident and was sent back to class. Later, the three students who took the sign were suspended.
[Editor’s Note: The original account of this matter can be read here.]
(Posted on April 10, 2008)
Comments
This story is just another example of the care that needs to be taken whenever a race bias crime allegation is made. I remember vividly the embarrassment caused by Susan Smith who murdered her two children and sent police looking for a black man.
Posted by at 6:16 PM on April 10
Ok NOW the MSM will hit this hard. A thirteen year old girl gets here sign ripped out of her hands and she goes a bit overboard. She is 13 for one thing, not an adult. The school board IGNORED HER in the first place, so fair is fair. Even Steven. Nothing to see.
Will Katie Courec be running this as leading news? Probably so. Doesnt rise to the level of Duke though, does it.
Posted by at 6:16 PM on April 10
A (only slightly) more detailed article is at:
http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080410/NEWS01/804100335
Posted by H. Dumpty at 6:21 PM on April 10
It’s a shame that this girl apparently decided to exaggerate this incident in this way. Pressing criminal charges seems excessive given her age, but her conduct can’t be excused — unlike the “civil rights” establishment, we don’t try to justify things like this by saying that what matters is that such an incident “could have happened” (even though it certainly could have).
Posted by Charles Lindbergh at 6:32 PM on April 10
These survelliance cameras are turning up everywhere because the technology gets cheaper every year. Anyone who commits an actual hate crime or perpetrates a hoax is taking a considerable risk. We know who commits the majority of both, don’t we? This is partly how.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 6:32 PM on April 10
I knew it was FAKE right from the start. Everyday I see in the media that it is impossible for a white person to have a hate crime perpetrated on them. Only whites can commit hate crimes according to these faux News Souces (sic).
Posted by T Rexx at 6:57 PM on April 10
The students still put their hands on her and because of that, their punishment still stands. The girl may have exaggerated what happened in order to stir up trouble. But the essence of what happened is still the same…..just not as violent as she made it out to be.
The kids who grabbed her should and are being punished. She should and is being punished. But the fact remains that ethnic intimidation was used in order to squelch someone who promoted the idea that our country’s laws should be obeyed. And people who think they can get away with that, should be hog tied and tossed bodily out of our country.
Posted by at 7:13 PM on April 10
Kinda funny how the school said they didn’t have video of the incident at first. Now they have her scratching herself on tape. If the this girl is lying I hope the worst happens to her.
Posted by Hmmmm at 7:15 PM on April 10
Wow - this is a first. I’ve been monitoring hoax crimes for over a decade and I’ve never heard of a white person hoaxing a non-white hate crime.
Now here is the standard response when blacks are caught (about once a month) hoaxing whitey:
“Well, the young student should not have done this. But before we cast blame we should look at the environment of racism that made this young woman go to such extremes to publicize her plight. She is as much a victim as anyone here. And if the young woman spurs a conversation on race and racism then it is all the better. Let this hoax not detract from real hate crimes against whites, which are all-too-common.”
Posted by Bernie at 7:28 PM on April 10
I read elsewhere that she even picked out some students from their yearbook photos and identified them as the perps. What if those kids had actually gotten in trouble? Would she have gone through with it?
Well, all I can say is, thanks a lot, Melanie, you little brat. You’ve just given ammunition to the pro-illegal crowd. If you were my kid, you’d be grounded until you’re a Golden Girl.
Posted by Ellen at 8:03 PM on April 10
Stupid little girl. She has done more harm to the White race. Remember Tawana Brawley? Was anything ever done to her for lying and creating racial hatred? How about the lives she destroyed? Did her parents EVER apologize?
Posted by at 8:21 PM on April 10
“The girl now faces disciplinary action from the school and will be charged with filing a false police report, AISD superintendent Fred Hayes said during a news conference today.”
So she will be charged with filing a false police report” Well why not. Apparently that is exactly what she did. The law is there for a reason. I doubt if you will find many who frequent this site who would disagree with this decision. The problem is when “people of color”, ESPECIALLY BLACKS, do the same crime, all is forgiven and the whole thing is forgotten. Why the selective prosecution here? Why are we all not equal under the law? Of course there isnt a person reading this that doesnt know the answer to that question.
When this girl is prosecuted, as she should be, the double standards that are in effect in this country regarding this type of crime, should be on the front page of every rag and news media outlet in America. But I doubt if even Fox mentions it.
Posted by at 9:05 PM on April 10
There are some in this thread who are saying that Miss Bowers shouldn’t be charged with anything. I think the book should be thrown at her. I also said this about Jennifer Wilbanks (“the runaway bride”), who made up a story about being kidnapped by Hispanics. There are too many real nonwhite-on-white racial atrocities, and the discussion thereof is too taboo, to allow hoaxes to perpetrate. Now, the left has ammo to dismiss white talk of anti-white crimes among non-whites.
Posted by Question Diversity at 9:09 PM on April 10
A White girl over-exaggerating a racially motivated incident?
As shameful as it is, I fail to see how this behavior is so different than the White suburban kids at the mall dressing like crack-dealing gangbangers. They’re impressionable young people prone to following the lead of an incessant pop culture. Unfortunately, this is today’s pop culture - 24-7 “I-am-victim” drivel, like the Columbia noose or Duke “atrocities.”
Posted by ZKR at 9:53 PM on April 10
Hmmm, I wonder how many real assualts like this, go unreported? I imagine this girl was trying to strike back, at those who assaulted her, undoubtedly verbally. She probably knew there would be no reprisal against them, unless they left physical evidence, of an assault. They tore the sign away from her, and admittedly laid hands on her. She no doubt felt threatened by them, and sadly stooped to their level, to get even. I personally would like to hear some audio, of the incident, before passing judgement, also were these people offended, by the poster because it was directed at “other” criminals?
Posted by THe Old Sage at 10:01 PM on April 10
It’s strange, but Crystal Gale Magnum the woman who made the false allegations in the Duke rape case has not been displayed by the media in a negative fashion as far as I know. Does anyone know if charges have been brought against this woman? The media has seemed to keep silent about her.
I also had no idea that middle schools in Athens Greece had surveillance cameras. Do they have Black people there?
Posted by Awakened at 10:46 PM on April 10
I hope this young girl is punished just as severely as were Tawana Brawley, Crystal Mangum and all the other hoaxers who falsely accused whites of attacking them.
Oh yeah, I just remembered, nothing happened to them…
Posted by Madison Grant at 12:32 AM on April 11
Hmmmmm….
Very illuminating.
A white child facing a situation no young girl should be forced to face by herself “guilds the lily” a bit and is immediately excoriated by her own people.
Of course, any black or Hispanic, child or not , who would commit such an act or worse would be protected by their racial kin. In the name of solidarity and survival.
So black and Hispanic populations are increasing and white populations are decreasing.
While logicians may argue that correlation doesn’t necessarily prove causation, the point here is that as long as whites put morality above blood they will be losers in the tribalized brave new world our elite are forcing upon us. We’d best learn to adapt a bit. Or we can be all virtuous and perish. That would be the Christian thing to do.
Posted by mderpelding at 6:10 AM on April 11
The exception proves the rule. White people are capable of committing crime, any crime. That isn’t the real point. This is considered aberant behavior and is condemned by the majority of white people. Our critics should note that most of the postings are calling for this girls punishment. This incident will be twisted by the leftists. Agree that it is wrong, don’t defend it, but then suggest that this girl got the idea from the other high profile hoax cases-because she probablity did.
Posted by at 6:42 AM on April 11
She should get the punishment that innocent people would have received from her false claims.
Posted by at 7:56 AM on April 11
“This story is just another example of the care that needs to be taken whenever a race bias crime allegation is made. I remember vividly the embarrassment caused by Susan Smith who murdered her two children and sent police looking for a black man.”
The Susan Smith story (1994) was NOT a “race bias allegation.” She never claimed the alleged black kidnapper attacked her and her kids because they were white. Same with the Michael Stuart case in Boston (1988).
This case is a first: a white person hoaxing a non-white in regard to a hate crime. Though now it appears she was indeed harassed and attacked by Hispanics, just not hurt as badly as she claimed.
But still, no white has ever scapegoated a black person in regard to a hate crime hoax.
Posted by Bernie at 8:18 AM on April 11
She lied and needs appropriate punishment. But look how quick this hoax made the national news. Black and gay hoaxes are dropped like a hot potato and buried in the back of a local newspaper. The lone white hoax makes national news within hours. This hoax will now be part of the social studies curriculum for the next hundred years. Somebody should publish a pocket reference of black hoaxes for easy consultation when this case is ever discussed.
What is good about this case is that it will provide a benchmark to compare the treatment of black hoax perpetrators. One thing I noticed in the TV report was the emphasis on getting the police to charge her with filing a false report.
Have there been any legal consequences for the perpetrator in the Duke hoax?
Posted by Civilized Neighbor at 11:54 AM on April 11
At least white people are not in denial and are not screaming “No Justice, No Peace”, or asking for a hate crime trial, or excusing her behavior.
Why is it so hard for blacks and hispanics to deal in reality?
Posted by Lucas M at 3:53 PM on April 11
“three students took the sign from her”
____________
If she was holding the sign and it was taken from her by force, that constitutes robbery, a serious felony in most states.
Posted by at 4:00 PM on April 11
I hate when this stuff happens. This just makes our arguments about racial hoax crimes that much harder to get in to the mainstream media. This is just awful. And yes, she should be punished. What a stupid thing to do!!!!!
Posted by Gayle Sollenberger at 4:40 PM on April 11
All things being equal, I must assume that she will receive a standing ovation at the MTV awards?
Posted by Sensitivity Trainer at 5:34 PM on April 11
>>>doubt if you will find many who frequent this site who would disagree with this decision. The problem is when “people of color”, ESPECIALLY BLACKS, do the same crime, all is forgiven and the whole thing is forgotten. Why the selective prosecution here? Why are we all not equal under the law?>>>
Ahh… and THAT’s the rub, as Shakespeare would say. Sure, we’ all “equal” under the law… it’s just that Blacks and Hispanics have the “bar” lowered to ground level for them. Face it, people. Only a damned fool would believe “hate” crimes directed by blacks AGAINST WHITES… would ever get the same kind of publicity even s stupid racial slur, made by a White radio personality would get.
The media totally IGNORED the gang rapes of that White co-ed couple in Tennessee, their subsequent torture, mutilation and horrific death… yet waxed apopletic over that silly joke by Don Imus. Which crime, motivated by race, deserved MORE newspaper publicity. More silly gabble by the vaunted talking heads? The gruesome murders, or that stupid joke? Now which crime was virtually ignored by the national news media?
So you see why so many people have a problem understanding WHY rational Whites feel as we do about minorities, or the blatant media bias. I guess that fear of a White backlash, while NEVER admitted by the media, still holds. But then again, given the vast number of Black-on-White hate crimes, White outrage might come to a boil rather quickly, if the truth actually surfaced on our evening news, Imus style.
Posted by Fed Up at 5:48 PM on April 11
I can’t remember anyone else being charged with filing a false report for falsely reporting a hate crime, with the possible exception of a couple of blacks who did so pursuant to insurance fraud (I just can’t remember if they were charged; they torched their home and blamed it on Nazis).
And I’ve got a folder filled with scores if not hundreds of articles about these hoaxes (all but a handful perpetrated by non-whites).
Of course this girl is white.
Posted by Svigor at 7:28 PM on April 11
“While logicians may argue that correlation doesn’t necessarily prove causation, the point here is that as long as whites put morality above blood they will be losers in the tribalized brave new world our elite are forcing upon us. We’d best learn to adapt a bit. Or we can be all virtuous and perish. That would be the Christian thing to do.”
I disagree. You can have BOTH morality AND blood. We don’t have to put one above the other.
The blacks put “blood” i.e. color above morality. That’s their problem. We don’t need to adopt their problem as our own. We need to maintain our morality, but get a sense of OUR race and band together as the blacks do, for our race, but keep our morality which IS one of the things which make us superior to the black man.
Posted by at 11:52 AM on April 12
The proliferation of increasingly inexpensive video surveillance cameras is still generally in whites’ favor, hoaxes like this notwithstanding.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 1:37 PM on April 12
The apparent difference between white hoaxers and the nonwhite variety is that the white ones are quickly prosecuted, and other whites are not out protesting on their behalf.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 5:34 PM on April 12
“Wow - this is a first. I’ve been monitoring hoax crimes for over a decade and I’ve never heard of a white person hoaxing a non-white hate crime.”
Hmm…does she have a black boyfriend?
Posted by Wild Eyed Charlie at 11:00 AM on April 13
The apparent difference between white hoaxers and the nonwhite variety is that the white ones are quickly prosecuted, and other whites are not out protesting on their behalf.
Yes, and this 13-year-old was named, whereas most juveniles are not.
Riley
Posted by Riley DeWiley at 3:07 PM on April 14