Editorial: What must not be forgotten in the Smollett case is the cause at the root of his hoax

The question of whether justice was served in the case of actor Jussie Smollett may never be entirely settled. What must not be lost along the way is the impact of the case on the fight against hate.

To Judge James Linn, that was the defining issue leading him Thursday to fine Smollett nearly $150,000 and sentence him to community service and nearly five months in jail.

"There are people who are actual genuine victims of hate crimes that you did damage to," Linn scolded from the bench.

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's concern was for the justice system itself. That is no small matter, of course. Yet, coming from a figure whose political standing has been wounded almost from the start, the prosecutor's diatribe rings disturbingly hollow on the fundamental issue Linn found so important. It is noteworthy that in her more than 700-word essay, Foxx never once alludes to the harm done to the fight against hate crimes by Smollett's hoax.

That's an unfortunate oversight that must not be lost in this debate.

Racial profiling and violence against minority communities - Smollett originally claimed he was attacked because he is Black and gay - remains a serious problem in our society.

Cases of violence against people because of their race, gender or sexual identities happen all too frequently and with too little notice. Actual numbers may be hard to pin down and any official figures are surely misrepresented by the many cases that go unreported.

Yet, many Americans contend just the opposite - that these cases happen rarely and involve only a small portion of the population. That kind of thinking impedes the opportunity to find solutions and for representatives of targeted groups to get their story told fully and honestly.

Smollett's case not only insulted all those groups and all those efforts, it actually turned back the clock on them. His hoax gave naysayers the opportunity to take comfort in ignoring the issue.

In an action that itself tainted public faith in the justice system, the prosecutor's office only compounded matters by attempting at first to quietly sweep Smollett's high-profile case under the rug.

There are arguments to be made about whether Smollett, because of his fame, was treated more harshly than others, just as they may be made about whether he was originally treated too leniently for the same reason.

What cannot be questioned, nor will be soon undone, is the damage done to the fight against race- and gender-based abuse.