Hate Crime Hoaxer Busted After Placing Noose on Her Own Desk, Calling Cops [WATCH]

An elected official in Allentown, Pennsylvania has been charged after police say she staged a hate crime that led to widespread outrage, a federal investigation, and public demonstrations.

LaTarsha Brown, a member of the Allentown School Board, is accused of planting a noose on her own desk inside City Hall in January and then reporting it as a racially motivated threat.

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LaTarsha Brown, a city employee in Allentown, PA and school board member at @AllentownSD, was charged with making a false report and tampering with evidence after she reported that she found a noose on her desk at City Hall in January.

She was reportedly… pic.twitter.com/Zk9pqCaULF

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 24, 2025

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Authorities announced the charges Monday, stating that Brown is now facing possible jail time and financial penalties.

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According to a press release issued by the Allentown Police Department, Brown claimed to be the target of a hate crime after discovering the small noose on her desk.

The incident drew strong reactions from local officials and civil rights organizations, as well as calls for a hate crime investigation.

Among those who reacted was Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach, who issued a strong condemnation at the time of the initial report.

“Our employees are not safe. The black employees are not safe. It’s everyone,” Gerlach said in January.

“It’s the white allies [who] are not safe. Brown people are not safe. Gay people are not safe. Anyone in any marginalized community when you are working in a building in which a noose was found, you are not safe.”

Brown had previously filed workplace discrimination complaints against Allentown City Hall, but the noose incident escalated the situation and prompted calls for a broader investigation.

The Pennsylvania chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Philadelphia) also weighed in after the noose was reported.

NEW: Allentown, Pennsylvania employee LaTarsha Brown charged after placing a noose at her own desk to stage a hate crime.

Jussie Smollett would be proud.

About two months ago, Brown reported finding a noose at her desk at City Hall.

Police requested DNA samples of people who… pic.twitter.com/EEoN4t3CjA

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 24, 2025

In a statement from January, the organization described the object as a “vile sign of anti-Black racism” and urged city officials to act.

“We call on the City of Allentown to take this report seriously and establish a clear plan to ensure the safety of all of its employees,” the group said.

Following public outcry, protesters demanded that the FBI become involved.

The agency joined the investigation in January, according to local media reports.

However, as the investigation progressed, authorities began to question Brown’s account.

According to the Allentown Police Department, Brown was the only person who refused to provide a DNA sample when requested.

She also reportedly asked investigators to discontinue the case.

The investigation was then turned over to state authorities, who later reported that Brown’s DNA was found on the noose.

No DNA from any other person was identified, according to police.

Brown now faces charges of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and making a false police report.

If convicted, she could face up to three years in prison and fines.

As of Tuesday, Brown has not made any public comment regarding the charges, and her office did not respond to requests for comment.

According to a profile on the Allentown School District’s website, Brown “is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

This case joins a growing list of high-profile incidents involving allegedly staged hate crimes.

In 2022, actor Jussie Smollett was sentenced after being found guilty of hiring two men to stage an attack against him while falsely blaming supporters of former President Donald Trump.

The Illinois Supreme Court overturned Smollett’s conviction in November 2024.

Similarly, in 2020, NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace was believed to have been the target of a noose left in his garage stall.

A subsequent FBI investigation found no evidence of a hate crime and determined the rope had been in place for months and functioned as a door pull.

The Allentown Police Department has not issued further statements and did not respond to media inquiries following Monday’s announcement.

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