PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Benson High School students responsible for the noose discovered on campus last week have voluntarily come forward, said Portland Police in a Friday update.
Police said three students took responsibility for the act on the following Monday, Feb. 24.
Portland’s Bias Crimes detectives said they “found no evidence to suggest that the noose was placed on the roof with intent to threaten or alarm another person based on the person’s perception of race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or national origin of another person.”
The Multnomah County District Attorney also reviewed the investigation’s findings and concurred that there was no criminality in the behavior from a legal perspective. DA Rod Underhill released a statement on the incident Friday evening that read:
“The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office finds the actions of these three youths to be alarming, hurtful and completely contradictory to the values our community has of being open and accepting of each other’s differences. After carefully reviewing all of the police reports and evidence in this case, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office determined that from a legal perspective, it is quite clear that this type of behavior cannot be punished criminally. We hope these youths are able to learn from this incident and can appropriately and meaningfully repair the harm caused.”