Former student Graeme Phillip Harris walks to the courtroom in Oxford, Mississippi. Harris was sentenced six months in federal prison for his role in the February 2014 vandalizing of the James Meredith statue. (DM Photo | Logan Kirkland)
A former UM student was sentenced to serve six months in federal prison for his role in the February 2014 vandalizing of the James Meredith statue this morning at the federal courthouse in Oxford.
In June, Graeme Phillip Harris, 21, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of intimidating black students and faculty at the University by placing a noose and Confederate flag on the Meredith statue behind the Lyceum. Today he stood before U.S. District Judge Michael Mills and was sentenced to serve half of the maximum sentence time possible for the charge.
He will begin serving his sentence in early January 2016. Mills did this to allow Harris to finish this current semester of college.
Harris will also complete 100 hours of community service for a non-profit program.
-Lana Ferguson
