FAIRFAX NAACP STATEMENT ON ASSAULT AT IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
FAIRFAX, Va. – The Fairfax County NAACP, along with much of the nation, was outraged at the reported attack on Amari Allen at Immanuel Christian School in Springfield, Va., last week. We take every allegation of racial violence seriously and we treated this incident the same. Regrettably, in this instance, the reported assault turned out to be false, and the Allen family is working with the school to achieve a resolution. We would like to thank the Fairfax County Police for their quick action in opening an investigation into the matter, and to the school for being forthcoming and open throughout this process.
Amari is not a public figure. She is a young girl who made a mistake, and we are asking everyone, supporters and critics alike, to please respect the family’s privacy at this time. Her family has released a statement to the Washington Post apologizing to the other students she accused, and her school, and the community.
Too often in these rare instances of fabricated hate crimes, critics use a broad brush to claim racially motivated crimes are virtually non-existent. This is demonstrably wrong. Data from numerous sources, including the Anti-Defamation League, the FBI, and the Justice Department, shows bias motivated crimes are on the rise, year over year. The fact is that these type of fabrications are isolated incidents, but the public and media has a tendency to sensationalize falsifications over the thousands of real hate crimes reported every year.
The Fairfax NAACP remains committed to the ongoing conversation around race in our community, and stands prepared to assist victims seeking justice.
