ST. JOSEPH, Mich. (AP) - A white teenager in southwestern Michigan is accused of pulling a black boy into a "loathsome and despicable" smartphone chat about race.
Berrien County prosecutor Michael Sepic says the 13-year-old from Benton Harbor is charged in Family Court with malicious use of a telecommunications system, a misdemeanor.
In a statement Monday, Sepic says he's seeking informal action against the Upton Middle School student, not a long-term record.
The exchange occurred on Kik, a smartphone app. Sepic says there were seven white boys involved but only one is accused of bringing a black student into the conversation. He described the racial messages as "loathsome and despicable."
The prosecutor says an ethnic intimidation charge doesn't fit because no physical contact or property damage occurred.