Will they ever learn?
For at least the second time this year, the media fell for what struck many as a likely hate crime hoax.
Last week a black sixth grade girl in Virginia alleged that three of her white classmates pinned her down and cut off three of her dredlocks.
“The 12-year-old, who is African American, said three white boy students held her down in a school playground a week ago during recess, covered her mouth, called her insulting names and used scissors to cut her hair,” The Washington Post reported.
Almost immediately, the story went viral, thanks to an uncritical boost from America’s unusually gullible media.
CBS’s Gayle King, who helped boost Jussie Smollett’s tall tale of racial abuse, was duped again.
“It’s very disturbing about these boys because it’s heartbreaking and traumatizing for that little girl,” King uncritically commented during a CBS This Morning segment on the story. [For more, check out the montage above]
For the media, the story had an even more tantalizing angle. The school, Immanuel Christian School, counts Vice President Mike Pence’s wife as a staffer. She’s a part time art teacher, something most media reports were certain to include in their stories.
Today, the girl’s family admitted the entire story was a hoax.
“To those young boys and their parents, we sincerely apologize for the pain and anxiety these allegations have caused,” the girl’s grandparents, who are her legal guardians, wrote in a statement. “To the administrators and families of Immanuel Christian School, we are sorry for the damage this incident has done to trust within the school family and the undue scorn it has brought to the school. To the broader community, who rallied in such passionate support for our daughter, we apologize for betraying your trust.”
“We understand there will be consequences and we’re prepared to take responsibility for them,” the letter continued. “We know that it will take time to heal, and we hope and pray that the boys, their families, the school and the broader community will be able to forgive us in time.”
Grabien News is standing by for updates and clarifications from the media outlets that hyped this now-debunked story.
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— Montage: Watch the Media Uncritically Accept Another Outlandish ‘Hate Crime’