Reply #17: The local Ventura County paper's article on this incident...

[pelagius]

...includes the following quote:

Lisa Foxworth of Simi Valley, who said her 15-year-old son was among the teens arrested, said he was trying to break up a fight provoked by the victim and his co-worker, who were selling subscriptions to the Ventura County Star.

"One of the kids swung on him and he swung back," she said.

Racial tensions have sparked fights between her son and black and Hispanic teens before, most recently a few weeks ago, with her son being the target of the beatings, she said. The incidents by school officials were referred to as "mutual combat" rather than hate crimes because her son is white, she said.

"It's a hate crime against my kid," Foxworth said.

http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/county_news/article/0,1375,VCS_226_3383636,00.html