Man pleads guilty after noose found at Maryland school

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – A 19-year-old man who pleaded guilty to a hate crime after a noose was found hanging from a light outside a Maryland middle school has been ordered to perform 120 hours of community service.

The Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office says in a news release that Conner Prout of Crofton was sentenced on Thursday. Authorities say the county NAACP will direct Prout’s community service.

Prout, who is white, was also put on 18 months of supervised probation.

Prosecutors say a teacher found the noose at Crofton Middle School on May 11. Police say surveillance footage showed two people accessing the roof of the building and placing the noose. Nooses have long been used to intimidate black people.

The second person arrested is set to go to trial later this month.