October 26 28, 2017 issue

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Criminal probe in lewd, racist Henrico middle school video By Ronald E. Carrington and Jeremy M. Lazarus

Shocked, appalled, horrified, disgusted. Take your pick of the responses to a graphic video showing white football players at Short Pump Middle School simulating the homosexual rape of at least two black teammates in

the locker room amid the gleeful shout of one perpetrator that “we’re gonna to f*** the black outta these African-American children from Uganda.” Apparently filmed by the perpetrators and posted to the social media site Snapchat on Friday, Oct. 13, the vile video became a must-see news story last week that has brought unwanted

nationwide attention to Henrico County and tarnished the school’s reputation as a welcoming place for all students. And it has left adults in this increasingly diverse suburban county reeling from a naked display of bigotry out of the Ku Klux Klan playbook at a school that largely serves the children Please turn to A6

Richmond Free Press © 2017 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

VOL. 26 NO. 43

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

www.richmondfreepress.com

ee Fr

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c e l e b rat ing o u r 2 5 t h A nniv e r s ar y

October 26-28, 2017

Reunited and it feels so good Former President Obama energizes Va. Dems at rally By Saraya Wintersmith

Ms. Williams

Matthew Riley

Williams takes place in athletic history at U.Va. By Fred Jeter

The University of Virginia has again made a statement for diversity with the hiring of Carla Williams as athletic director. The announcement was made Sunday by U.Va. President Teresa Sullivan, with Ms. Williams introduced during a news conference Monday at the school in Charlottesville. In signing a five-year deal worth $550,000 per year plus incentives, Ms. Williams becomes the first African-American female athletic director at an NCAA Power 5 conference school. She succeeds the retiring Craig Littlepage, who was hired by U.Va. in 2001. At the time he was the first African-American athletic director at a school in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Ms. Williams comes to U.Va. from the University of Georgia, her alma mater (Class of 1989), where she most recently served as deputy athletic director with an emphasis on the school’s nationally prominent football program that currently is ranked No. 3 behind Alabama and Penn State. During her 13-year tenure in Athens, the Bulldogs won 16 NCAA titles and 37 Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles in all sports combined. Ms. Williams is a former All-SEC basketball guard who played professionally in Spain. She also had a stint as a Georgia women’s assistant basketball coach. As a coach, she was involved with the recruitment and signing of La’Keshia Frett out of Hampton’s Phoebus High School. Ms. Frett, arguably the top player in Virginia high school history, is now a U.Va. assistant coach. “Her experience as a successful student-athlete, coach and senior administrator at the highest levels of Division I athletics Please turn to A6

Former President Barack Obama told a packed audience at the Greater Richmond Convention Center the fate of American politics rests within their vote on Tuesday, Nov. 7. “The question for you tonight, and over the next 19 days, is do you want a politics of division and distraction? Or do you believe in a better kind of politics, one where we work together and listen to each other,” President Obama said to loud cheers and applause. Thousands turned out to hear President Obama on Oct. 19, as he stumped at the Downtown venue for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam. He also urged voters to support the statewide Democratic ticket, including Justin Fairfax for lieutenant governor, and the re-election of Mark Herring for attorney general, as well as the dozens of Democrats seeking election to the Virginia General Assembly. “You’ve got really good candidates. You’ve got people who will make you proud,” he told the adoring crowd after characterizing Lt. Gov. Northam

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Former President Obama electrifies the crowd as he huddles with Virginia’s top ticket Democratic candidates at an Oct. 19 rally at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

as a genuine and trustworthy public servant. “The question now, at a time when our politics just seems so divided and so angry and so nasty, is whether we can recapture that spirit — whether

Competition for local offices will take up a major share of the Richmond ballot on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7. Richmond voters will be electing a sheriff, a treasurer, a commonwealth’s attorney and a member of the School Board. The Free Press offers readers information about

we support and embrace somebody who wants to bring people together. Yes, we can.” The crowd roared the former president’s campaign slogan, “Yes, we can,” in response. With less than three weeks

y TU esda

VOTE NOV. 7

to Election Day, state Democrats enlisted the help of the nation’s first African-American president, who is still hugely popular, to energize Virginians Please turn to A4

the candidates and their priorities in a package of election stories in this week’s edition. Next week, we feature information on candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and area House of Delegates races. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Make sure you vote.

4 contenders in open sheriff’s race By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Four months ago, Antionette V. Irving made the headlines with her stunning upset of longtime Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody Jr. in the Democratic primary. Since her June 13 primary victory, Dr. Irving has been rushing to meet voters to translate her new status as the Democratic nominee into a win Dr. Irving Ms. Jackson Mr. Jafari Ms. Adams at the polls on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7. Still she is facing three independent challengers who each want A retired major with the Henrico County Sheriff’s Office who holds a Ph.D. in business administration, Dr. Irving is the to win the $148,000-a-year-position of managing the Richmond favorite to win the post in a city where the majority of voters Justice Center, or city jail, overseeing delivery of legal papers in civil cases and providing security at city courthouses. label themselves Democrats. The names of two of Dr. Irving’s challengers will be on the ballot along with her. They are Nicole D. Jackson, a former major in the Richmond Sheriff’s Office, and Emmett Johnson Jafari, a businessman who has previously sought local office. Former Richmond Police Sgt. Carol D. Adams, who left Charlottesville experienced at a August rally the department this month to run over their Confederate statues, Chief Durham a write-in campaign for sheriff, deployed 475 off-duty Richmond officers to is the third challenger. provide crowd control at the statue and in other Dr. Irving is promising a parts of the city. “new era of integrity, compasThe disclosure, provided in response to a sion and professionalism” in Freedom of Information Act request, indicates the office if voters elect her the chief essentially called in almost everyone and to focus on equipping who was not scheduled to work. Justice Center inmates with The department has an authorized strength the resources for a successful of 750 sworn officers, with about 710 officers re-entry into the community available because of vacancies and officers on after serving their time. leave for a variety of reasons. She said she would review Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press The city’s police force was supplemented programs Sheriff Woody inwith untold numbers of State Police troopers stalled during his 12 years, and officers from the Capitol Police, Virginia but supports the approach he Alivia Henson, 9, and her stepfather, Allen Oldum, use a Commonwealth University Police, sheriff’s wheelbarrow to haul their pick of pumpkins at The Pumpkin has taken and would seek to deputies and officers from Henrico County and Patch at Gallmeyer Farms in Eastern Henrico last Saturday. build on his effort to provide other departments. Based on food purchases, The family was getting ready for Halloween. Varieties of programs to help inmates

Richmond Police spent tax $ at Henrico County establishments for rally food By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Will Richmond have to shell out another $570,000 if supporters of Confederate statues come back in six weeks to hold another rally in Richmond? Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham is keeping mum about his plans for dealing with a return visit Saturday, Dec. 9, from members of the Tennessee-based CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, who have vowed to show up for a second rally at the statue of Confederate Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue. Chief Durham did not respond to a request for comment. The police department’s overtime budget was strained by the first rally held on Monument Avenue on Sept. 16. Uncertain of the numbers of people and counterprotesters who would attend, and armed with a directive to prevent the kind of bloodshed

Pumpkin picking

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pumpkins grown at the farm range from 1 pound to more than 100 pounds, perfect for jack-o-lanterns or pie.

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October 26 28, 2017 issue by Richmond Free Press - Issuu