CHARLOTTE — During a news conference Monday, Charlotte’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People weighed in on the controversy over a fight that happened a month ago at Ardrey Kell High School.
The fight involved a 15-year-old girl, who is Muslim, and a 15-year-old boy, who is Black. The girl’s family alleged she was targeted due to her race and religion, but the boy’s family said that’s not true.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said there was no evidence of a hate crime.
In a statement released last week, the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office also said no information was presented to them to show a potential federal violation:
“While we understand the concern surrounding such incidents, federal authorities initiate investigations and begin to take investigative steps, including conducting interviews, after an initial assessment of the available information indicates a potential federal violation. At this time, there is no indication that the conduct implicates any federal laws, and in particular, federal hate crimes laws.”
Channel 9′s Joe Bruno reports the call from the NAACP was to stand down and let cooler heads prevail while CMPD and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools investigate.
The NAACP called for peace and said misinformation is hurting the community.
“Every statement that has been made, has been made intentionally. And those statements are causing a racial divide between the Black and Arab community, something we do not need,” said Rev. Corine Mack, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP.
The fight was captured in part on video.
Both sides are calling for that footage to be released but CMS told Channel 9 they can’t release the video due to student privacy laws.
Both sides of the controversy are expected to address the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board on Tuesday night.
Check wsoctv.com for updates.
WATCH BELOW: ‘There’s only one truth’: Family disputes hate crime allegations in Ardrey Kell fight
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