Story highlights Boys who wrote racist graffiti must read diverse books as punishment

The group vandalized a historic school opened in the 1800s for African-American children

(CNN) Five teens were given a sentence similar to a lengthy homework assignment for defacing an old school building in Ashburn, Virginia, by painting it with swastikas, obscenities and the phrase "white power." They must read books and watch films to expand their worldviews.

Judge Avelina Jacob, of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, handed down the sentence earlier this month. It requires the teens to read one book per month for the next 12 months from a list including titles like Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," Elie Wiesel's "Night" and Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart," Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Alex Rueda said.

The boys, all age 16 or 17, were sentenced for destruction of private property and unlawful entry after they vandalized the Ashburn Colored School on September 30 , said Rueda, who recommended the sentence to the judge.

The Ashburn Colored School was established in 1892 to provide local African-American children who belonged to an adjacent church an education, said Deep Sran, the founder of Loudoun School for the Gifted, which owns the property the Ashburn Colored School is on.

As part of the sentence, the teens must write a report on the book they have selected each month, Rueda said. In place of this requirement, Rueda said the boys may choose to watch and review a movie, also from a designated list, which includes "Schindler's List" and "12 Years a Slave."

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