Authorities seeking charges again three teenagers for attack on trans teen in Gloucester

Authorities are looking to charge three teens with assault and battery after the investigation into the assault of a trans teenager in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

The three teens, two 17-year-olds and one 16-year-old will face a clerk magistrate hearing, which will determine whether there is probable cause for the charges to move forward.

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Gloucester police were initially called to the area of Dogtown Road on Aug. 30 after an alleged assault left a teen hospitalized. The teen's family told NBC10 Boston at the time that he has been bullied for being trans and believe that was the motivation for the attack.

A teenager says he was beaten up without provocation by other teens, including some on the high school football team, in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Friday because he was trans, and his lawyer says he's confident it's a hate crime. But a lawyer counseling some of the alleged attackers says video from the incident suggests a different story.

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The police investigation determined that the people involved knew one another. A hate crime investigator was assigned to the case but the investigation did not support filing hate crime charges.

"Our department conducted a meticulous, thorough, and compassionate investigation, and the resulting charges are consistent with the evidence," Gloucester Police Chief Edward Conley said. "Our thoughts remain with the victim, who suffered significant injuries in this attack."