‘Slave for sale’ ad targeting Black student leads to probation for Illinois teen
Nearly a year after an Illinois high school student was accused of listing a “slave for sale” advertisement on Craigslist, the teenager has been sentenced to probation and community service.
The Naperville Central High School student, who was 14 at the time, took a photo of a fellow Black freshman student while at school in November 2019, McClatchy News previously reported.
He then posted the photo to Craigslist with the caption, “Slave for sale (Naperville)” and an offensive racial slur, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The boy pleaded guilty to two counts of felony hate crime and one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct on Sept. 1, officials said.
He is not being identified because he is a juvenile.
He has since been sentenced to 2 years of probation and 100 hours of community service, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin announced Thursday in a Facebook post. Judge Anthony Coco also ordered the teen to participate in counseling “as deemed necessary by the Juvenile Probation Department” and provide a DNA sample for the state’s database.
“Hate crimes have no place in a civilized society and will not be tolerated, regardless of the accused’s age,” Berlin said in the Facebook post. “Studies show that the victims of hate crimes can suffer from depression, increased anxiety, low self-esteem and insecurity among other things.
“It is my sincerest hope that with the help of our Juvenile Probation Department, the juvenile involved in this incident will mature into a productive member of society.”
In Illinois, a hate crime “includes crimes committed on the basis of the victim’s perceived or actual race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or national origin of an individual or group of individuals.”
“Hate” doesn’t have to include rage or anger, but rather a bias against certain people or group, the state says, and a “crime” can be either violent or nonviolent, including harassment by social media.
This story was originally published October 21, 2021 at 1:07 PM with the headline "‘Slave for sale’ ad targeting Black student leads to probation for Illinois teen."