Source: Daily World (Aberdeen/Gray's Harbor)

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“You are young,” the judge told Brandon Peterman, “but you’re old enough to know better.”

Peterman, 19, pleaded guilty Tuesday to harassment -- a reduced charge from felony malicious harassment -- for an online "joke" threatening to hang a 17-year-old black student. The message included profanity and a racial slur. [see Qnews summary]

District Court Judge Stephen Brown ordered the seven-day jail sentence to be served in one lump, preferably during the upcoming spring break. Peterman must also read “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” within the next 60 days and write a summary.

Assassinated in 1965, Malcolm X was a leader of the “Black Power” movement.
Judge Brown said racial insults carry extra weight because they have historical significance. They shouldn’t be used to entertain friends.

Another 358 days in jail will be suspended as long as Peterman stays out of trouble. Brown said the student also faces two years of unsupervised probation and almost $500 in fines.

Peterman and his friends created a MySpace account under the victim's name that they used to call the African-American student racial slurs and imply he was gay. The targeted teen didn't know the profile existed until his sister discovered it late last year.

Gray's County prosecutors originally filed felony malicious harassment charges (Washington's version of "hate crimes" legislation) against Peterman because the threats "targeted the victim's race and sexual orientation." The charges were reduced as part of a plea agreement.

Court document filed before Peterman's arrest say the victim believes the profile was created to belittle him because "he is African-American and Peterman's friends think he is gay."

Before sentencing, Peterman apologized to the victim’s family, the school and the community.

“It was really immature,” he said of his online message. “It wasn’t funny at all.”

The victim’s mother read a statement from her son describing how the message made him feel. She wanted Peterman to hear it.

Her son wrote that he no longer trusts those around him, feels afraid at times and hopes something can be learned from the situation.

The statement also criticized school officials for not taking the matter and other insults as seriously as they could have. The victim wrote that he used to look up to teachers and administrators.

“How can you respect authority when it turns its back on you?” the victim wrote.

In a major report on school bullying published this week [see Qnews summary], LA Times reporter Seema Mehta spoke with Bakersfield attorney Ralph Wegis, who often represents students in cases against school districts. Wegis called bullying a "life-changing event" for its victims.

"We're all familiar with the damage that can be done by physical assault or rape, but these school bullying cases are very much akin to those kinds of damages," he said.

Mehta reports that bullying often leads victims to change their daily behavior -- they are more likely to avoid certain parts of campus, such as restrooms or the cafeteria. Some become introverted or depressed and are at greater risk than their peers of skipping school, dropping out, getting lower grades and bringing a weapon to campus. 

Judge Brown in Aberdeen said he wished he could say something that would fix everything. Peterman has to learn about the power of words, he emphasized.

Full article: Teen gets seven days in jail, reading assignment for posts | Daily World