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By Lookout Staff

November 1, 2011 -- LA Sheriff's investigators said Monday they had cleared high-ranking Santa Monica High School officials of allegedly intimidating the victim and/or witnesses and destroying evidence to cover up a racial incident involving members of the school's wresting team.

The mother of the victim, Virginia Gray, complained to officials that on May 14 students locked her son to a locker and shouted “Slave for sale!,” then posed a human-sized dummy used by the team for practice with a noose.

District officials acknowledged the incident took place but said that they couldn't verify the racial slur and that the victim reported he didn't hear it.

"After a thorough inquiry," said Police Department spokesman Richard Lewis, "it was determined there was no probable cause to believe that any staff member or employee of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District participated in any activity, or acted in such a manner, that supports an allegation of criminal misconduct."

Lewis said the Sheriff's Department's Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau (ICIB) conducted interviews and reviewed the crime report, written declarations, and photographic images.

The incident was referred to the sheriff after the victim's mother filed a report with the Santa Monica Police Department on June 21, 2011.

Three weeks later, Santa Monica Police Chief Timothy Jackman formally requested that the sheriff investigate the incident to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, since the police department works closely with the school district.

The two students who bullied the victim were suspended and received sensitivity and diversity counseling. All athletic teams, including the wrestling team met to engage in a dialogue about the incident and about acceptable behavior.