No felonies certain for three CdM students

Newport Beach police are still waiting to hear whether the Orange County district attorney’s office will press criminal charges against three Corona del Mar High School students who allegedly posted a video on the Internet threatening to rape and kill a classmate.

Three Corona del Mar students, one adult and two minors, could face felony charges of terrorist threats, Newport Beach Sgt. Evan Sailor said Wednesday.

The Police Department would not release the names of the students Wednesday.

Under California law, making terrorist threats is punishable with up to one year in county jail or state prison. If prosecuted as a hate crime, the students could face up to three years in state prison, according to state law.

The American Civil Liberties Union last week sued the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and Corona del Mar school officials in Orange County Superior Court, alleging the school fosters an environment rife with homophobia that doesn’t protect gay and female students from harassment.

The lawsuit claims three male students at Corona del Mar posted a video on the social networking website Facebook, allegedly discussing raping a female student in the back of a pickup truck and killing her.

The ACLU alleges school officials have not done enough to punish the students involved or protect alleged victims at the school.

“We disciplined the students and the police were called immediately and they did another investigation,” school district spokeswoman Laura Boss said.

Farrah Emami, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney’s office, said she could not comment on cases that involved juveniles.

Reporter BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at [email protected].