An African-American student claiming to be a victim of an alleged hate crime has filed a $5 million claim against San Jose State University.
Donald Williams Jr., 17, said his three white roommates taunted him and called him racial slurs while getting physical at times.
Williams says Logan Beaschler, 18, Joseph Bomgardner, 19, Colin Warren, 18, and an unidentified juvenile tied a metal bicycle lock around his neck and nicknamed him “three-fifths” and “fraction” in reference to slavery. They also wrestled him to the ground, locked him inside his room by blocking his door with furniture and hung a Confederate flag in his window.
Each of the young men faces misdemeanor hate-crime and battery charges as result of the incident.
They have pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
-Erika Benton-Martin (@leftcoast_rika)
