Jillian Deutsch

A nearly month-long investigation of an alleged racially motivated bus attack moved its way to the courts Monday.

Students Ariel Agudio, Alexis Briggs and Asha Burwell pleaded not guilty to all charges, which ranged from assault in the third degree to falsely reporting an incident in the third degree, according to the Times Union.

The three State University of New York at Albany students claimed they were attacked on a city bus on the night of Jan. 30 by 10 to 12 white students. The incident sparked a rally with hundreds in attendance and a popular #DefendBlackGirlsUAlbany hashtag on Twitter.

However, the validity of the students’ claims were questioned and the university launched into a three-week investigation, reviewing security videotape and interviewing over 30 witnesses.

RELATED: Hundreds rally to protest attack on three black women at U. of Albany

The charges "will have a profound impact on our community and, in fact if proven, are shameful," Judge Rachel Kretser said, according to the Times Union report.

The Times Union obtained surveillance camera footage from the city bus where the alleged attack occurred.

"This crime has already done enough damage to the community," Kretser told the Times Union. "It's like an open wound. And I want it resolved quickly so people can heal."

She set a conference date for March 29.

Jillian Deutsch is a University of Missouri student and a USA TODAY College correspondent.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.