Civil rights case starts for woman said to have scolded child, 'I'll kneel on your neck'

Strafford County Superior Court in Dover, where case will be heard. (Courtesy photo)

CONCORD - An enforcement action by the Civil Rights Unit of the state of New Hampshire has been initiated against a 51-year-old Dover woman for violating the state's Civil Rights Act, the Attorney General's Office announced today.

The complaint, filed in Strafford County Superior Court, alleges that on May 10, 2021, Kristina Graper threatened a nine-year-old black child who had been playing in a neighborhood park in Dover after he accidentally broke a toy that belonged to Graper's son.

Graper allegedly told the black child that she would "kneel on his neck" and called him a racial slur. The civil complaint alleges that the threat was motivated by the victim's race.

A civil rights violation allows for a maximum civil penalty of $5,000. The court may also enjoin further violations of the Civil Rights Act.

The complaint and the allegations contained therein are merely accusations that the Civil Rights Unit must prove at a final hearing.

The Civil Rights Unit enforces state and federal civil rights laws, including the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act and the New Hampshire Law Against Discrimination. Anyone who believes their civil rights may have been violated may file a complaint at www.doj.nh.gov/civil-rights/ or by calling 603-271-3650.