Western Washington University student charged with hate crime faces up to 5 years in prison

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — A Washington state college student has been charged with malicious harassment, under Washington's hate crime law, for allegedly writing "let's lynch her" on a social media post concerning a student leader at Western Washington University.

The felony carries a term of up to five years in prison.

19-year-old Tysen Campbell was charged in Whatcom County Superior Court on Thursday.

Charging papers show that Campbell's comment was made in response to a comment by WWU Associated Students President Belina Seare on Facebook in which she called college students "baby KKK."

According to the documents, Campbell admitted he made the post and that he deleted it soon after.

He also acknowledged he knew what lynching was and that he associated it with the Ku Klux Klan, but that he did not actually intend to lynch anybody.

Our partners at the Seattle Times report that Campbell is free on bail pending his Friday arraignment.