Noose Hoax: DNA Exposes Brown

Allentown City Worker Charged After Allegedly Staging Hate Crime Involving Noose

By Ximena Rodríguez-López

Allentown, PA - LaTarsha Brown, a City Hall employee and Allentown School Board member, was formally charged with making false reports to law enforcement and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, following an investigation into a noose found on her desk in January.

The incident initially prompted alarm throughout the Allentown government offices, as Brown claimed to have discovered the noose upon arriving at work on January 23. The case was treated as a potential hate crime and investigated by the Allentown Police Department, with assistance from the FBI due to the racial implications of the object.

As part of the investigation, authorities requested voluntary DNA samples from all employees who had access to the secured office area. According to investigators, while all other individuals complied, Brown refused to submit her DNA and, at one point, requested that the investigation be closed.

A judge later authorized a search warrant compelling Brown to provide a DNA sample. Forensic testing conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police revealed that Brown’s DNA was present on both the outer surface and the inner knotted portion of the noose. No other individuals’ DNA was detected.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan announced the charges, stating, “The DNA evidence and investigative findings clearly indicate that the noose was not placed by an unknown assailant, but by the complainant herself.”

Brown is facing two misdemeanor charges: false reports to law enforcement authorities and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 22.

The case has sparked public conversation surrounding the issue of race baiting—the practice of deliberately inflaming racial tensions for personal, political, or ideological gain. Critics argue that false claims involving racially charged symbols like nooses can erode public trust, distract from real instances of racial injustice, and undermine genuine victims.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk expressed deep concern over the outcome of the investigation: “It’s shocking and disappointing. This type of fabrication not only misuses public resources, it risks weakening the credibility of future reports of real discrimination.”

Supporters of Brown, however, including local community activist Josie Lopez, argue that the investigation and charges are retaliatory in nature. “This is not just about a noose. It’s about silencing someone who has spoken up,” Lopez said in a statement outside City Hall.

As the legal process continues, the city of Allentown is left grappling with the complex repercussions of the case—both in terms of public trust and community healing.