Ex-Student Sentenced For Hanging Noose Around Ole Miss Statue

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A former University of Mississippi student was indicted Friday on federal civil rights charges for allegedly hanging a rope and a flag featuring the Confederate battle flag around the neck of a statue of James Meredith, the university’s first black student.
A former University of Mississippi student was indicted Friday on federal civil rights charges for allegedly hanging a rope and a flag featuring the Confederate battle flag around the neck of a statue of James Meredith, the university’s first black student.

WASHINGTON— A former University of Mississippi student was sentenced on federal civil rights charges for allegedly hanging a rope and a flag featuring the Confederate battle flag around the neck of a statue of James Meredith, the university’s first black student.

FBI: U.S. District Court Judge Michael P. Mills today sentenced Graeme Phillip Harris to six months in prison and one year supervised release for helping place a rope around the neck of the James Meredith statue on the University of Mississippi campus.

The incident occurred in the early morning hours of Feb. 16, 2014. Court documents show that Harris and others hung a rope and an outdated version of the Georgia state flag—which prominently depicts the Confederate battle flag—around the neck of the Meredith statue, with the intent to threaten and intimidate African-American students and employees at the university. The iconic statue honors Meredith’s role as the university’s first African-American student.

Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 27 on one count of conspiracy to violate civil rights and one count of using a threat of force to intimidate African-American students because of their race or color. On June 18, he pleaded guilty to the threats charge, pursuant to a plea agreement.

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