Three Arrested for Alleged South Park-Inspired "Kick a Ginger" Beatings

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Daily Blotter

(Comedy Central)

CALABASAS, Calif. (CBS/AP) Three boys have been arrested for allegedly bullying red-haired students after a Facebook message inspired by "South Park" promoted "Kick a Ginger Day" at a Southern California middle school.

Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Monday that two 12-year-olds were arrested for suspicion of misdemeanor battery, and a 13-year-old was booked for misdemeanor cyber bullying.

All three were released to their parents.

A total of eight boys are suspected in the Nov. 20 attacks on seven students at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas. Nobody was seriously hurt.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Richard Erickson says the attackers may have been inspired by a 2005 episode of the television show "South Park," which uses the term "ginger" to satirize racial intolerance.

MORE ON CRIMESIDER
November 23, 2009 - "Kick a Ginger" Middle School Beating Inspired by South Park?

7 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

by SHEETPAN December 1, 2009 7:49 PM EST

Two 12 year olds arrested? For a stupid kicking prank. Are you kidding me? Eight more suspects? Cyber bullying? What the hell are we becoming? What happened to taking them down to the principals office, Giving them detention, Calling thier parents and let them hand out a liitle punishment. Maybe suspend them for a day. How in God's name is this a police matter?

Reply to this comment


by linfinster December 1, 2009 10:40 PM EST: Ask parents to control their children? Right. Detention? Laughable.
Perhaps you want to be the 12 yr old being picked on?! Or how about the kid that brings a weapon to school and takes out a bunch of other innocent kids and teachers for the relentless "stupid kicking prank" as you call it they'd had to endure .. it it was your child to be killed wouldn't you be asking where the police when he was being bullied all thru school?
How in God's name you ask? Well if you have ever cracked open a Bible, you may recall that children were stoned to death for disrespecting a parent. At one time, I'd say we've come a long way ..


by AdNihil December 3, 2009 5:35 AM EST: Sheetpan's absolutely right. Getting cops involved is ******* rediculous. Our society has become ******* neutered and ***** as ****. Can't take a hit or a joke or an insult. Cyber bullying? Seriously? What happened to freedom of speech? If I want to talk **** about anyone or anything that shouldn't be a crime. Kids will be kids, that's all there is to it and people will be people. We argue, we fight, we pull pranks, we act stupid, we make jokes at other people's expense because it's funny, sometimes we shoot up schools, sometimes we suicide bomb eachother, sometimes we send things called militaries into other people's countries and kill thousands of people. You can't shelter anyone so at least let them grow up and become adults without serious and especially legal repercussions.

Linfinster is pathetic. He wants to argue that it's not ok to bully AND it's not ok to stand up for yourself? That someone being a victim is in the right until they make someone else pay for it? What kind of message are you putting out? Be weak or be wrong? Who's last shall be first? Turn the other cheek? Be the humble man? That kind of inaction is what breeds contempt and creates even worse social awkwardness, anxiety, mass murdering sociopaths. You want to talk about the bible while saying how far we've come? We certainly didn't get spurred into the future saddled and bridled by religion.

What needs to be done is someone with some common sense to say "No, we're not going to call the cops, you ******* *****. That's called snitching and you should learn that it's wrong before someone decides to get payback. If you want them to stop bullying then stand up for yourself and prove them wrong or they'll always be right about you."

This whole society is going down the drain.


by rwsmith29456 December 1, 2009 3:15 PM EST: It's not South Park. It's the total idiots who took something like that too seriously. The ones that won't listen to their parents or teachers, but believe everything a TV cartoon passes their way.; Reply to this comment


by internet_killed_tv_star December 1, 2009 1:17 PM EST: I love South Park!; Reply to this comment


by keith.butler December 1, 2009 12:27 PM EST: Blame it on an animated adult-oriented cynicism? Does that mean the 47 million Stalin killed were killed because of the Roadrunner or the Coyote?

This is the crap of the "excuse generation"! Not my fault, or to paraphrase the great Mr. Wilson, "Da Debil Made me Duit"

There is an excuse for humor and humility but no excuse for intolerance of any kind. So if my comments offended anyone, live with it!; Reply to this comment