Local teens charged with hate crime in Hicksville

County police arrested three local teenagers Thursday for allegedly assaulting a fellow teen and hurling anti-gay slurs at him during a bus ride home from a Hicksville BOCES school. Cops classified the assault as a hate crime.

David Spencer, 18, of North Valley Stream, and 16-year-olds Chase Morrison, of Lakeview, and Roy Wilson, of Baldwin, slapped and kicked the 14-year-old boy around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, police said. The trio began taunting the boy while on the school bus heading home from the Cantiague Rock Road BOCES complex. Spencer and Morrison made disparaging remarks about the victim's sexual orientation using the words "bitch," "gay" and "faggot," according to Lt. John MacEwen, commanding officer of the Second Precinct.

As the verbal harassment escalated, the victim walked to the back of the bus, where he was followed by all three teens who started physically assaulting him. According to MacEwen, they slapped him in the head and face, and stomped on and kicked his arms, stomach, legs and thighs. The bus driver stopped the bus and told the boys to sit down or she wouldn't continue driving. A pregnant bus aide was present on the bus.

The victim did not report the assault to school officials until the following day, after a morning bus ride during which the trio threatened to "get him" later in the day, according to police. School officials immediately reported the incident to the victim's parents and to police, who are still investigating the case.

"We are committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students," said BOCES spokeswoman Mary Quinn. "Aggression, bullying or harassment of any kind is not tolerated. This matter was reported to the police as soon as we learned of it and we continue to work cooperatively with them."

Police charged Spencer and Morrison with second-degree harassment, and all three teens with third-degree assault. When coupled with the hate-crime classification, the misdemeanors are considered class E felonies, according to Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey.

"County Executive [Ed] Mangano and I have a zero-tolerance policy toward hate crimes anywhere in Nassau County," Mulvey said Thursday during a news conference. "Unfortunately, this kind of hate and bias exists in our society."