HOUMA, La. — A student caught on video throwing cotton balls at a Black student, then hitting him with his belt, has been arrested.
According to the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's office, a 15-year-old freshman at Vandebilt Catholic High School was arrested on March 15 for simple battery and hate crime.
The student was booked into the Terrebonne Parish Juvenile Justice Center, according to police.
The alleged hate crime was captured on camera on March 9 inside the Vandebilt Catholic High School cafeteria.
In the video, a White student walks up behind a Black student in the crowded lunchroom and throws a handful of cotton balls at him. The boy then begins to slap him repeatedly with a belt.
The Black student then stands up and pushes the student who was hitting him.
Those familiar with the school say he’s one of few Black students at the school. Eyewitness News is not identifying either boy because they are minors.
The archdiocese issued a statement on March 10, saying there is no tolerance for racist or bullying behavior. Writing, quote, “[Wednesday’s] actions by a few are not consistent with the values and mission of our school.”
The parents of the child who was targeted also included a statement in that press release, thanking people for their support and writing, “We will continue to pray for our school community as a whole, that we not only get through this together but that we each learn a valuable lesson from what has taken place.”
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