A California mom who told her daughter to attack an opponent during a basketball game is ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution.
Last year, Latira Shonty Hunt instructed her daughter to attack a rival player during a youth basketball game. The attack occurred in the midst of Hunt’s daughter’s youth game on November 7th at the MAPS sports facility in Garden Grove. The incident was captured on camera.
In the video, Hunt’s daughter misses a 3-point shot and immediately falls to the floor.
A player standing next to Hunt’s daughter, who was on the rival team, also fell to the ground.
Hunt then tells her daughter, “you better hit her for that,” after she had the interaction with the rival player.
After getting back up, Hunt’s daughter lunges toward the rival player and hits her in the head.
The 15-year-old player suffered from a concussion, and Hunt was charged with one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one misdemeanor count of battery.
“Youth sports play a crucial role in developing discipline, teamwork, and fair play. A grown adult directing a child to use violence against another child on the basketball court is reprehensible,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. “By instructing her own daughter to engage in violence. She is not only responsible for injuring an innocent child as if she punched her with her own fist. But she transformed her own child into someone who is willing to hurt another child.”
On Wednesday, Hunt received misdemeanor diversion in exchange for completing a series of requirements over the next two years. Hunt is required to write an apology letter to the victim, her parents, and both basketball teams. In addition, she’s also ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution and complete anger management classes before she can attend basketball games again.
