One of his experiences in high school was what he considered a hate crime assault.[16] King stated a "dozen rednecks" had beaten him and the injuries caused him to miss a portion of two years of high school due to multiple spinal surgeries.[11] A band teacher, two fellow students from King's high school, as well as King's wife, posted their recollection of the event to Facebook, backing King's account.[48][49][50]
The detective who investigated the case in 1995 described King's injuries as "minor". The associated police report noted that the incident revolved around a fight involving only one other student who defended his girlfriend after being allegedly threatened by King. The report did not indicate the incident was racially motivated. There is no mention of a "hate crime" either with local police or with the FBI.[48][51] Keith Broughton, the investigating detective, said he interviewed six witnesses put forth by the school's principal, including a teacher who broke up the fight. All of them described it as a one-on-one altercation.[48]
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Questions regarding race
In August 2015, conservative websites questioned King's biracial identity based on information from King's birth certificate which lists Naomi Fleming and Jeffrey Wayne King as Shaun King's parents, both of whom are white.[1]"
