Ole Miss students may face charges for noose incident

Three freshman students at The University of Mississippi, or Ole Miss, could face criminal charges for putting a noose around the statue of James Meredith, the school's first African American student.

The Washington Post reports police found a noose and Georgia's old state flag, which includes a confederate symbol, around the neck of the seven-year-old Meredith statue Sunday.

The three white Ole Miss students are part of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Following the incident, Ole Miss suspended the fraternity and the three students were kicked out of the chapter.

Meredith integrated Ole Miss as a graduate student in 1962 with the help of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and the protection of federal authorities sent by then-President John F. Kennedy. Meredith graduated in 1963.

While WAPT reports the FBI is investigating the incident, WHBQ says that local authorities don't exactly know what to charge them with.

"What exactly was the crime? Was it malicious mischief? Was it damaging property? Was it intimidation? Was it all three? What do you charge them with."

"His office cannot find anything in the wording of the state laws that would make the act either a felony or misdemeanor offense."

According to CNN, another racially-charged incident took place on Ole Miss' campus just this week. Third-year senior Keisha Reeves told police someone threw alcohol at her from a moving car while shouting racial slurs.