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CALABASAS, Calif. (CNS) -- Students at a middle school in Calabasas may have attacked a redheaded classmate as part of "kick a ginger day," an Internet spoof inspired by an episode of the "South Park" cartoon show, a sheriff's lieutenant said today.
As many as 14 students at A.E. Wright Middle School kicked and hit the 12-year-old, who has red hair and freckles, twice on Friday, said sheriff's Lt. Richard Erickson of the Malibu-Lost Hills station.
The attacks were brief and the student was not seriously injured, Erickson said. All of the attackers appeared to be other seventh or eighth graders at the school, he added.
Authorities were unaware of any other attacks on redheads on Friday, but were looking into whether the incident might be related to "kick a ginger day," which began last Nov. 20 when some young people circulated messages on the Internet urging people to beat up redheads on that day.
Similar Internet messages were spread on Facebook and other Internet sites this year, Erickson said.
The term "ginger" comes from a "South Park" episode first aired in 2005 that satirized racial intolerance, but did not use the term "kick a ginger day."
Erickson said investigators were looking into whether the attacks were related to scores of messages on Facebook calling for another "National Kick a Ginger Day" this Nov. 20. But he stressed that investigators were not sure Friday's attacks were sparked by the Internet messages.
Anyone with any information about the attack was asked to call the Malibu-Lost Hills sheriff's station at (818) 878-5536.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?se...les&id=7131943
As many as 14 students at A.E. Wright Middle School kicked and hit the 12-year-old, who has red hair and freckles, twice on Friday, said sheriff's Lt. Richard Erickson of the Malibu-Lost Hills station.
The attacks were brief and the student was not seriously injured, Erickson said. All of the attackers appeared to be other seventh or eighth graders at the school, he added.
Authorities were unaware of any other attacks on redheads on Friday, but were looking into whether the incident might be related to "kick a ginger day," which began last Nov. 20 when some young people circulated messages on the Internet urging people to beat up redheads on that day.
Similar Internet messages were spread on Facebook and other Internet sites this year, Erickson said.
The term "ginger" comes from a "South Park" episode first aired in 2005 that satirized racial intolerance, but did not use the term "kick a ginger day."
Erickson said investigators were looking into whether the attacks were related to scores of messages on Facebook calling for another "National Kick a Ginger Day" this Nov. 20. But he stressed that investigators were not sure Friday's attacks were sparked by the Internet messages.
Anyone with any information about the attack was asked to call the Malibu-Lost Hills sheriff's station at (818) 878-5536.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?se...les&id=7131943
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