2 Grads Accused Of Painting Racial Slurs At Patton High School WSOC TV

MORGANTON, N.C.,None — Two graduates of Robert L. Patton High School are charged with a hate crime after police say they wrote racial slurs in spray paint at the school and caused more than $3,500 in damage from other acts of vandalism.

The Morganton Department of Public Safety was called out to the school July 25 at 701 Enola Road to investigate reported vandalism, according to a press release issued Thursday. When officers arrived, they found that someone had spray painted racial slurs on and around the football field, cut the bullpen and soccer nets, slashed the seats in a school activity bus, damaged lawn care supplies and overturned a school golf cart.

Not even the school's statue of a panther, Patton's mascot, escaped harm, according to a police report. The report did not say how the monument was damaged.

Police and school officials would not say what was written on the field.

Christopher James Setzer, 18, of 3635 Enola Road, Morganton and Derreck Kane Carswell, 17, of 108 Roper Drive, Morganton were each charged with ethnic intimidation, defacing public property and damaging a public school bus, according to arrest warrants. Each posted bond, which was set at $5,000 secured, and are scheduled to appear in Burke County District Court on Aug. 17.

Both are former Patton students, according to Burke County Superintendent Art Stellar. Carswell graduated in May, Setzer in 2010.

Stellar does not believe the graffiti targeted anyone on staff at Patton. Capt. Trent DeVinney of Morganton Department of Public Safety said police are unsure the teens' motive for the vandalism.

"This was a random act by a couple of kids," Stellar said.

No one else was involved, DeVinney said, and the teens weren't acting on behalf of a group.

DeVinney said surveillance footage caught the pair defacing the school and officials were able to identify at least one of the teens.

Stellar says the cameras are a boon for schools.

"We've been adding surveillance cameras over the years, and they prove to be very helpful."

Vandalism is rare at Burke County Public Schools, Sellar said.

"Burke County has been extremely fortunate in that we have very little vandalism comparatively," he said. "… It's just not that kind of community. This came as a bit of a shock."

Local cops rarely see racially motivated vandalism, DeVinney said.

"I think it's pretty uncommon," he said. "Unfortunately, I've seen some over the years, but I think it's pretty rare."

He said it has been "a while" since the last time he encountered such an incident.

The initial police report estimated the total damage at $3,772.44, but Stellar expects the actual cost to the school system will be higher.

"We haven't got a total figure," he said. "It's somewhere around $6,000 we think."

Stellar is hopeful that taxpayers won't foot the cleanup bill.

"There is insurance, however, we will also seek restitution from the two individuals," he said. "We are not at that point yet."

School officials have removed the damaged equipment and cleaned up the field, Stellar said. The school is still waiting for new nets and seat covers, which were ordered but have not yet arrived.

Ethnic intimidation is a Class 1 misdemeanor under North Carolina law. A conviction is punishable by a fine and community service but does not carry a prison term for those without a criminal record.

WSOC

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