Portsmouth teen charged with racist, antisemitic acts takes deal. Here are the terms.

PORTSMOUTH — A teenager charged with violating the state’s Civil Rights Act will pay a civil fine and has agreed to other penalties related to hateful graffiti and vandalism in downtown Portsmouth early last year, according to New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella.

Loren Faulkner, 18, and the Rockingham County Superior Court entered a consent decree on Tuesday regarding the hate graffiti and vandalism that occurred in February 2023. The settlement is an acknowledgement from the teenager he was responsible for the barrage of racist and antisemitic messaging spray painted on downtown businesses, homes and houses of worship.

The terms of the consent decree call for Faukner to pay a civil penalty of $50,000, though all but $2,500 of the fine is suspended for a three-year period if he complies with all of the terms of the consent decree.

For the next three years, Faulker is barred from coming within 250 feet of the locations he targeted, as well as the owners, staff, congregants, and residents of those places, according to Formella’s announcement. He cannot contact anyone associated with those locations.

The Portsmouth Police Department investigated the incident. The case was prosecuted by New Hampshire Senior Assistant Attorney General Sean Locke, who is the director of the New Hampshire Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Unit.

“This consent decree provides another example of the Attorney General’s Office’s commitment to ensuring that in the ‘Live Free or Die’ State, everyone has the opportunity to live and worship freely, without fear of hate-motivated conduct,” Formella said in a prepared statement on Wednesday. “I thank our Civil Rights Unit, Senior Assistant Attorney General Sean Locke, and the Portsmouth Police Department for their hard work investigating this case.”

Eighteen locations in Portsmouth targeted

A juvenile at the time of the incident, Faulkner was charged by Formella last April with 22 counts of violating the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act in a civil complaint. The charges stemmed from the spree of hateful images, which included swastikas, crosses and the Star of David, and messages Faulkner was accused of spray painting at 18 locations around the heart of the city before dawn on Feb. 21, 2023.

Seacoast Media Group did not name Faulkner in previous coverage because he was a juvenile at the time of the incident.

Formella’s civil complaint last year alleged Faulkner then walked home using a pedestrian bridge over Market Street, which he allegedly defaced, an incident not reported to police until several days later.

In the consent decree, Faulkner additionally acknowledged he destroyed rainbow LGBTQ+ Pride flags and other symbols of support with the LGBTQ+ community in April 2022.

“The court found that Mr. Faulkner’s actions were motivated by hostility towards people because of their race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity,” a news release from the attorney general’s office reads. “The court also found that Mr. Faulkner, through his actions, attempted to interfere or did interfere with the lawful activities of others including their ability to worship freely and engage in free speech or free expression.”

Faulkner, wearing a hooded red sweatshirt, khaki pants, white shoes and orange-rimmed glasses, was caught on surveillance tape defacing Grim North Tattoo & Piercing on High Street, among other locations. Temple Israel was targeted, as were downtown businesses Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar, owned by the Portsmouth Assistant Mayor Joanna Kelley, Macro Polo, Deadwicks, 3 Bridges Yoga and Cotillion Bureau. St. John’s Episcopal Church was also struck with two instances of graffiti.

More details on penalties and requirements for teenager

The consent decree further requires that Faulker undergo a behavior assessment, participate in behavioral and mental health counseling and comply with any recommendations given to him through treatment, enroll and participate in either an educational or vocational program or seek and maintain employment, and complete 200 hours of community service work, Formella announced.

Court records note a trial management conference in Faulkner’s case that was scheduled for Thursday has been canceled due to the consent decree. Jury selection, scheduled to begin April 8, is also canceled.

Faulkner’s attorney, John MacLachlan, did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday afternoon.

The attorney general’s office negotiated the consent decree.

Each violation of the Civil Rights Act allows for a maximum civil penalty of $5,000, the attorney general’s office reported last year. Violations of the Civil Rights Act also empower the court to restrain the defendant from committing future violations of the Civil Rights Act and other hate-motivated conduct for three years.

In the days following the hateful graffiti attack, Kelley organized a “Love Blooms Here” event at her business, with assistance from community leaders and local florists. Volunteers took donated flowers from the Cup of Joe shop and gave them to targeted businesses and places of worship.

Members of the public who believe their civil rights have been violated may file a complaint at https://www.doj.nh.gov/civil-rights/index.htm or by calling (603) 271-3650.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth NH teen charged with racist, antisemitic acts takes deal