A 16-year-old student in Oakland has been charged with a hate crime after setting a transgender student’s skirt on fire. According to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, the 16-year-old boy approached the transgender student while they were on the AC Transit bus on Nov. 7.
The teen then set the transgender student’s skirt on fire with a lighter. The transgender student suffered second to third degree burns on his legs and was treated at St. Francis Memorial Hospital.
After the incident, the 16-year-old student was arrested and questioned by police. Police claim the boy said that he set the fire because he was “homophobic”; however, the suspect’s mother said that her son was “not homophobic” and that he was remorseful for his actions.
The 16-year-old student has been held at a juvenile facility without bail and has been charged with a hate crime.
