No charges will be filed in racism incidents

No charges will be filed in two racially charged incidents this month on the construction site of a new Home Depot store in South Elgin, police say.

On Oct. 8, South Elgin police began a hate crime investigation after a report that a black worker found a facsimile of a hangman's noose at the site. The next week, a racial slur was found spray painted on a desk at the site.

Police consulted with the Kane County state's attorney's office, which after the police investigation concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.

"The worker (who reported the incident) did not want to pursue the matter any further," South Elgin Sgt. Mike Doty explained, "and there was no property damage to Home Depot."

The worker who reported the incident, police said, had had work-related disagreements, which were not motivated by race, with other workers prior to the vandalism.

The vandalism, which was reminiscent of the recent Jena Six controversy in Louisiana, drew national media attention and was also investigated by the Elgin chapter of the NAACP, which could not be reached for comment Friday.

The FBI reviewed South Elgin investigation reports on the incident and will not pursue the matter.