Sparked by two recent accounts of intimidation, some Shenandoah Valley legislators are considering whether the display of a hangman’s noose should be categorized as a hate crime in the Virginia code.
According to this account in the Daily News Record, most Harrisonburg-area lawmakers would favor the change.
The paper reports that the EEOC is looking into complaints of noose displays at a business in Elkton. In a separate case, a Massanutten Resort employee pleaded guilty to assault for using a noose to intimidate a co-worker.
UPDATE: Also from the hate-crime desk, we have this report from the Bristol Herald Courier on the defacing of an Obama campaign sign in Abingdon.
By Peter Vieth
