Regardless of why these bullies are doing this if I was the Mom I would first go to the parents of the accused punks and make it clear that my kid is not going to be picked on by bullies who are IMO kids who have low self esteem and troubled lives whom they pick on others in order to make themselves feel good.
Calling the police right off the bat and yelling hate crime is a bit overboard in dealing with the neighborhood punks.
If they did use the term Jesus Hater it does not mean they are Christian kids regardless of what the parents practice.
Being a bully is a troubled youth and now a days can lead to harm beyond throwing a few apples.
Mom of the kid being picked on should nip it in the bud by maturely bringing it to the punks parents attention.
Bullie nowadays are not the same as bullies 20yrs. ago.
I have friends that deal with this with middle schoolers and the punks are brazen.
These bullies are usually from a home where Gramma is working and raising them because they had unfit parents, could have mental illness due to being exposed to drugs and the crap that goes along with that kind of lifestyle.
Just an example of what my friend is dealing with kids picking on her son and this is a charter school.
Threats started out as stealing lunches and bopping the smaller boys on the head and flipping the parents off who spoke up to now on bully saying he has access to lethal weapons and has nothing to lose by blowing someones head off.
Times have changed.