A little over a year ago, the family of Rashad Al-Hakim Jr. and protesters gathered in front of Fresno County Superior Courthouse to protest the release of Lisa Ellen Spoors on bail.

Another protest was scheduled Wednesday, Feb. 8, to try to call attention to the injustice the family of Al-Hakim Jr. feels is ongoing with the Spoors case, but strong gusts of wind paired with a heavy downpour changed those plans.

“We want her [Spoors] to face murder charges,” said Ragina Bell, mother of Al-Hakim Jr. “They want to lower it to vehicular manslaughter, which doesn’t really hold too much time.”

Spoors, a former Fresno State graduate teaching assistant, is facing three felony charges of murder, driving under the influence while causing bodily harm and hit-and-run resulting in permanent injury or death after allegedly hitting and killing 15-year-old Al-Hakim Jr.

The Hoover High School student was released early from basketball practice on Oct. 4, 2022, Al-Hakim Jr., a Hoover High School student, was released early from basketball practice and was crossing the street in front of campus when Spoors allegedly collided with him and drove away from the scene.

Al-Hakim Jr. died six days later due to severe injuries.

Regarding the case, no new evidence has been presented.

“Right now, what’s going on with the case is they’ve been continuing it out,” Bell told The Collegian. “The last court date that I went to, I spoke with the DA [district attorney] and he was saying that he wants to offer her [Spoors] a plea deal. Me and the family is not in agreeance with that. I feel like that’s just him trying to force the case off the table.”

Framed photos of Al-Hakim Jr. and posters lined the wall of the courthouse as a group of around 20 protesters came out regardless of the weather. The family is calling for action once again as another court date approaches on Feb. 21.

Bell and her younger son wore coordinating red tops with photos collaged of Al-Hakim Jr. with black, white and gold writing that read “Everybody loves Lil Shad” and “Forever 15.” Other protesters also wore clothing and shoes with traces of commemoration for the boy.

Due to the weather, another protest will be scheduled before the court hearing to demonstrate again. Bell said she wants to bring awareness to the case because people think the case is closed, even though it’s ongoing and still affecting her family’s daily life.

“I’m just so used to being a mom to two children,” she said. “I can’t even yell at anybody and tell them to go sit down or stop playing in my house because none of that is going on. It’s quiet and uncomfortable.”

Due to the incident involving the Fresno Unified School District campus, Bell said she pulled her younger son out of the district and moved him to a neighboring school district.

She has filed a lawsuit demanding a jury trial against Spoors and FUSD, whom she believes are responsible for her son’s death. The complaint states that Al-Hakim Jr. was under the supervision of Hoover High School when he was dismissed early from basketball practice, mentioning there was a failure to notify a guardian of the dismissal.

Bell is seeking damages for negligence, negligent supervision of students, negligent hiring, training, supervision, retention of employees and survival action.

Rashad Al-Hakim, Al-Hakim Jr.’s father, echoed this same sentiment. He said justice will never be served for his son because there’s no bringing him back.

“Our family trips ain’t been the same; holidays are not the same,” Al-Hakim said. “It changed our family drastically as far as being, like, closer. It kind of spread us apart a little more.”

Al-Hakim said the reason they do not want the case to settle for vehicular manslaughter is because if Spoors, who uses they/them pronouns, has to do, for example, a minimum of five years, they would be out in about less than two years due to the time already served waiting for trial.

“We at least want to pursue the murder charges,” he told The Collegian. “I don’t want just a slap on the wrist because she’s [Spoors] already been in there for a while.”

Al-Hakim said they have been trying to keep the word out that the case is still ongoing through social media, word of mouth and community efforts.

A few weeks after the case began, he said that he and a few others started volunteering in their free time as crosswalk guides to safely guide students exiting or entering Hoover High.

“It’s just a group of us,” he said. “We have signs and we have vests. We just cross the kids to make sure they are safe in the morning and after school.”

He said they try to do it twice a week, but at least make time to volunteer once a week.

Bell said Al-Hakim’s siblings, her nephew and she all wear necklaces with some of Al-Hakim’s ashes in them, so that they can always carry a piece of him with them.

“Ideally I just want justice to be served because this isn’t the first time she’s done something like this so she needs to be held accountable,” Bell said. “If Rashad wasn’t a Black kid, and she wasn’t a white woman and it was switched, I feel like the outcome would be so much different.”

The family will be hosting another protest at Fresno County Superior Courthouse on Friday, Feb. 16, around 4 p.m., according to Bell.