By Kevin Jefferies
Paris, Texas – The NAACP has called for a timely release of a Paris girl from the Texas Youth Commission after a meeting Saturday. Shaquanda Cotton was given an indeterminate sentence following a three-day trial in March of 2006 after a jury found she committed assault causing bodily injury against a Paris ISD teacher's assistant.
Controversy surrounding the case rose after the Chicago Tribune ran an article earlier this month where Cotton's mother, Creola Cotton, is claiming her daughter's civil rights are being violated.
Last Monday, over 100 members of the New Black Panther party marched on the Lamar County Courthouse in protest of how the case has been handled.
The NAACP said they do not have enough evidence to determine if the girl's rights have been violated, saying key facts have not been released by officials.
The Paris ISD was cleared of three earlier complaints by The Office for Civil Rights, but the district is still under investigation.