Can I be affected by what another induvidual did? (hate crime?)

What is the name of your state? Tennessee

I was out with 3 other guys at around 3:00 a.m. during our fall break. We were just going to go make a video, but we couldn't get our main prop there. So we walked down to this one girls house that we knew that lived near by.

1 guy started taping her windows (it was light, no damage what-so-ever) the other two put some forks & spoons into her yard. A guy was trying to put a flag up hanging from her tree (with just a school name on it, nothing bad) and i only held the flag as he tied it. Thats it.

BUT, this is where my question really comes from..he put a swastika (the **** sign) in forks and spoons on her yard..then took some gas & oil and lit it on fire. I was across the street as this was happening, and it shocked me.

This is a federal hate crime i believe, correct? And could i get in trouble for just being there with not having any part in it?

By the way, the guy that did it was German, and it wasn't meant in any way to be percieved agianst race, ethnicity, gender, etc. He always is putting this stuff around school and thinks the sign is a 'good thing'.

So if you could help me, direct me to a site, or something i'd be really grateful as i don't want to get introuble for something i didn't do...

Thanks.

That indeed is a problem. You are not liable for his acts if you were totally unaware, but that may be difficult to show under these facts. Also you can be liable for in any way assisting a person that commits that or any other crime.

You have to decide what to do now. You can wait and see what happens (if anything) or you can go to the authorities yourself now and explain that you disagree with what happened and that you had nothing to do with it.

Thanks.

Actually i am going to tell the residence about what happened, which happens to be a good friend of mine and i know her mom pretty well..hopefully it can all be sorted out..