Dozens of students at a California middle school attacked their red-haired classmates as part of "Kick a Ginger Day," an event possibly inspired by TV show "South Park," police said.
Sheriff's Lt. Scott Chew told MyFoxLA.com that up to four students were assaulted at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas on Nov. 20.
One 12-year-old boy, who has red hair and freckles, was reportedly attacked twice on Friday by as many as 14 students.
The seventh-grader and the other victims were not seriously injured, according to Lt. Richard Erickson. A sixth-grade girl told KABC-TV that some fellow students kicked her in the legs from behind. The alleged attackers all are seventh- or eighth-graders at the school.
A 2005 "South Park" episode entitled "Ginger Kids" satirized racial intolerance and is the apparent inspiration behind the Facebook group "National Kick a Ginger Day."
Messages on the Web site urge people to participate by kicking and beating up redheads.
Erickson said investigators still are not sure if the middle-school assaults were related to the Internet messages or the show.
Click here for more from MyFoxLA.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox