Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella announces the initiation of an enforcement action by the Civil Rights Unit against Kristina Graper, age 51, of Dover, New Hampshire, for violating the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act.

The complaint, filed in Strafford County Superior Court, alleges that on May 10, 2021, 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.