At a high school assembly on Aug. 30, 2006, a black freshman asked the assistant principal whether African-Americans could sit under a tree that had traditionally been used only by whites.

The school official replied, "You can sit anywhere you want."

The next morning, students arrived at classes to find the nooses -- two black, one gold, the official school colours. After learning three white students were responsible, Scott Windham, the principal, recommended they be expelled for the year.

A school board committee ruled the incident was a prank without racial overtones and reduced the punishment to an in-school suspension.

Federal prosecutors refused to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime.

After black students held a protest under the "whites only" tree a few days later, Reed Walters, the district attorney for La Salle parish, allegedly warned he could make their lives "disappear with the stroke of a pen" if they continued to disrupt the school.

The situation quickly unravelled.

On Nov. 30, 2006, an unknown arsonist set fire to the school's academic wing.

Two days later, a black student attending a mostly white party at the Fair Barn, a local dance hall, claims he was severely beaten by a group of white teens. The following day, a white man allegedly pointed a pump-action shotgun at another group of black teenagers in a gas station parking lot.

Police charged a 22-year-old white man with simple battery in the Fair Barn assault. The alleged gun-wielding man faced no charges.

The final incident occurred on Dec. 4, when prosecutors say a group of black students attacked a white teenager, Justin Barker, without provocation.

The black teenagers contend he had taunted an African-American student who had been beaten in an earlier attack by whites.

The injuries inflicted on Mr. Barker were ugly, but not life-threatening.

He was knocked unconscious and was repeatedly kicked in the head. He spent three hours in a hospital emergency room and attended a social event that evening. They were charged with attempted murder.

Can they be related to the incident of the nooses.. i don't think that  it helped any racial tension that may have existed in the town or the school.  Its all a shame , its sad , and we really need to look at how to make sure this doesn't happen again.

I think that there should be zero tolerance at any level for a hate crime , we should never look the other way or try to find a reason to excuse it.  We have to remember that doing nothing is just the same as condoning it. Burring our head in the sand doesn't make it go away. Problems never go away, they get worse if not dealt with. At least that it was I have learned in life.

Thanks for reading.