Trillium Lakelands District School Board said it is working with police to investigate the 'hate-motivated vandalism.' They were later arrested but in lieu of laying charges, the teens were referred to a pre-charge diversion program. Less than two weeks before the flag was burned in Huntsville, Peel police said two 16-year-old boys in Mississauga also burned a Pride flag and posted it to social media. “If evidence found during the investigation supports that the mischief was motivated by hate, this would be an aggravating factor at sentencing,” he said. The burning of stolen property is considered mischief. “It’s a mischief investigation,” he explained.ĭetermining whether the incident will be considered a hate crime is part of the investigation, Handsor said. Jeff Handsor of Huntsville OPP said of the incident in which a group of youth burned the LGBTQ2S flag and posted it to social media on June 22, during Pride month.
The burning of a Progress Pride flag stolen from a Huntsville school last month is still under investigation, police said.
