Characters
What gender does Sasha identify as and what was their birth name?
What is agender and Luke
What does Sasha's friends organize at their school for Sasha while they are in the hospital?
Skirts for Sasha
What racial group is most targeted in the Criminal Justice System?
African Americans
Did any of Richards friends get charged for anything?
no
What is a Hate Crime
a crime, typically one involving violence, that is motivated by prejudice on the basis of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or similar grounds.
What character admits that he gets into trouble but wants to get help and succeed
What is Richard
Who does Richard lose while he is in group home that takes an extreme toll on him?
What is Skeet, one of Richards friends. He was shot
Sasha started a petition to address this problem
the lack of genders the US recognized outside of male/female
How did Jasmine find out Richard was arrested?
What happens when minors can not afford an attorney?
They get appointed one.
Who is Miss Kaprice and why is she important at Oakland High School?
Miss Kaprice is Oakland Highs attendance compliance officer. She helped students get back on track with attendance and grades. She treated them like family.
Why does Richard's mom, Jasmine, take in her sisters two daughters?
Jasmines sister was caught in a shooting and was killed in San Francisco
What does Richard believe the word homophobic means?
He believes that the word homophobic means he is not gay and that he liked girls
What is Miranda Rights and do youths use this right?
Miranda Rights are the persons rights to remain silent. Youths often do not use this right because they don't understand that they can wait for a lawyer or the repercussions of what they say.
Why does the judge Nancy O'Malley decide to charge Richard as an adult?
She believes he needs to be off the streets because he is a serious and violent threat to anyone.
What is Richards punishment for burning the skirt?
7 year in prison
Why does Richard's mom Jasmine get backlash from the media and people around the world?
What is Jasmine gets backlash for defending her son and saying he was joking around.
Why does Sasha's validation for Andrews identity matter so much?
What is, it gave him the courage he needed in order to begin his gender transition.
Why did Richard's friends feel upset about No H8 organizing at Oakland High?
They felt that no one understood that he was a good kid who made a mistake. They felt like they weren't being heard
Which two crimes was Richard being charged with? And which one did he feel he was only guilty of?
He was charged with assault that caused bodily injury and hate crime. He feels he should only be charged with assault that caused bodily injury because he has no hate towards Sasha.
What are some characteristics of LLoyd and how does Richard view him?
What is a very boisterous, rebellious kid who was two years older than Richard. Richard looked up to Lloyed
Who showed up to the court with Jasmine to support Richard that was a HUGE deal?
"I'm here and I'm queer and I support my cousin"
What was some aspects that Karls letter entailed to his school?
Karls letter mentioned how we do not know the reasoning behind the skirt being lit on fire. It is all assumptions. He thinks the kid was playing with fire and underestimated the consequences perhaps. Says take care of each other.
How are adolescence scientifically different than adults? You can provide an example in the book.
Teens are more likely to make decisions with the limbic system rather than the prefrontal cortex. The limbic system is more sensitive to emotions and stress where the prefrontal cortex is responsible for reason planning and deliberation.
p. 187
What is a "super predator" and how is it a myth. Under chapter 'Direct Files'
a super predator is a young juvenile criminal who is so impulsive, so remorseless, that he can kill, rape, maim without giving it a second thought. It is a myth because while crime rates for youth were being lowered, more youths were being sent to adult prison.