Every black person has that moment when racism smacks them in the face.
Jace Colucci just had his.
According to reports from Colucci’s mother, her son found a drawing of a stick figure hanging from a rope with the face colored in with an arrow pointing to the figure that was labeled “Jace.”
“They crossed the line with the noose,” she said. “That is a threat on his life. It is a hate crime. They took the time to color the face in on the stick figure.”
“I want justice for my son,” she said.
The event happened before a rivalry game between Westside High School and Wyoming East High School. And despite what happened, Colucci still played in the game “with his head held high,” according to his mother.
Deidre Cline, who serves as the Superintendent of Wyoming County Schools, told NBC News that the incident is under investigation.
“Wyoming County Schools takes all reports of bullying or harassment, of any kind, very seriously,” she said. “We have zero tolerance for any form of bullying or harassment. The drawing and its origin will be investigated, thoroughly, and any necessary action will be taken. Wyoming County Schools values every student!”
The family’s attorney, Sean W. Cook, told CNN that the school district hasn’t shared the findings of that investigation with the family, or identified who did it. Wyoming County assistant prosecuting attorney Sante Boninsegna is believed to be investigating the situation as a potential crime.
Last year, Colucci was the target of a Snapchat video where teenagers were chanting “hang Jace, hang Jace.”
“Not only do I think they’ve failed my son, I think they’ve failed all of the students,” said Colucci’s mother.
