An Orange County, California, mom has been ordered to pay more than $9,000 after instructing her daughter to sucker punch another girl on an opposing youth basketball team during a game last year.
A judge ruled on Wednesday that 44-year-old Latira Shonty Hunt must pay restitution and apologize to the 15-year-old girl, who sustained a concussion after the altercation.
In the 2021 viral video captured at the game in Garden Grove, Hunt was heard telling her daughter, “you better hit her for that,” following an interaction between the two girls, ABC 7 News reported.
Hunt’s daughter, the child of former NBA player Corey Benjamin, can be seen punching the other girl in the neck before the victim collapses on the court.
Woman who told teen daughter to punch opponent at Garden Grove basketball game charged with misdemeanors https://t.co/EoV0E4dXLw via @Yahoo
The attacker’s mother, Latira Shonty Hunt, 44, was charged with battery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor— B 1776 Gallagher (@Gally66kg) December 11, 2021
A month later, Hunt was charged with one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one misdemeanor count of battery.
“A grown adult directing a child to use violence against another child on the basketball court is reprehensible,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer shared in a statement to ABC 7 News.
“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,” the statement added.
The Orange County mom faced up to a year behind bars for the charges. But on Wednesday, an Orange County judge ruled that Hunt could enter a diversion program instead. She now must write an apology letter to the 15-year-old victim, her parents, and the team. She also must pay restitution. In addition, Hunt will participate in an anger management course before she’s allowed back at any games. She’s also been ordered to stay away from the victim.