Four black and Hispanic teens are facing hate-crime charges for taunting a Muslim classmate

Four Staten Island teens are facing hate-crime charges for taunting a Muslim classmate because of his faith, calling him a terrorist and repeatedly punching him in the genitals, police said. The victim's emotionally scarring ordeal is part of a disturbing spike in hate crimes across the city that was highlighted by news that a sadistic black and Hispanic Bronx gang tortured three men because they were gay. Police said the four Staten Island boys - three 14-year-olds who are Latino and a 15-year-old who is African-American - were collared on charges of assault and aggravated harassment, both as hate crimes. They are being charged as minors, and police did not release their names.