Two state troopers have been suspended over allegations they provided an “unauthorized escort” to a group of sports cars -- including one driven by football star Brandon Jacobs -- driving at high speeds in New Jersey.

The convoy of cars, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches and others, traveled at speeds in excess of 100 mph down the Garden State Parkway to Atlantic City last month, according to The Star-Ledger newspaper. They also traveled on the New Jersey Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway.

The paper said witnesses had made complaints to police about the caravan -- which one witness dubbed "Death Race 2012" -- saying they saw patrol cars with emergency lights flashing at the front and rear of the sports cars.

The Star-Ledger also obtained amateur video footage of a caravan of luxury cars allegedly being escorted by state police at high speed on the Garden State Parkway in 2010. It is not known which officers were involved in this convoy.

Watch video of a 2010 convoy obtained by The Star-Ledger (video contains offensive language):

A statement released late Monday by the attorney general’s office said Sgt. First Class Nadir Nassry, 47, a trooper for 25 years, and Trooper Joseph Ventrella, 28, who has six years’ service, had been suspended without pay in relation to the incident last month. 

An unnamed station commander was also transferred “until any potential involvement on his part has been determined,” the statement said.

“We will not tolerate any conduct by a member of the State Police that puts the public in jeopardy, as this unauthorized caravan had the potential to do,” Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said, according to the statement. “We are thoroughly investigating this incident, and those responsible will face serious discipline."

Lt. Stephen Jones, a spokesman for the state police, said investigators would be looking to see if there were any incidents in addition to the one last month and the one in 2010.

“You better believe they are looking hard to see if there are any more; they are certainly checking that,” he told msnbc.com.

Charles Sciarra, an attorney representing Nassry, said in an email that state police officials had canceled a scheduled interview with his client and "simply suspended him without pay."

"This change of course was taken only after tabloid-like headlines appeared on the cover of Star Ledger over the last two days. The headlines scream 'Death Race 2012' when in fact these charitable organizations routinely ask and receive escorts from the State Police to and from the various charitable functions they attend with their exotic vehicles," Sciarra said. "This practice has been in effect for years."

PFT: 'We are thoroughly investigating this incident'

He added that "allegations of recklessness and speeds in the triple digits will not bear out" regarding the escort in question.  

"We hope that the powers that be will take a breath, exhale and engage in a fair investigative process with which we will continue to cooperate.  Either way, we will not permit Sgt. Nassry to be sacrificed to satisfy a public-relations agenda," Sciarra said.

Jacobs unaware
Jacobs’ agent, Justin Schulman, confirmed that his client, who plays for the San Francisco 49ers, went to Atlantic City on the day in question, March 30.

But, he said, "Brandon wasn't aware the escort was authorized or unauthorized."

The Star-Ledger reported that Michael Breen, a founding member of an elite New York City group of sports car enthusiasts called Driving Force Club, wrote on Facebook about a “very fun” run with Jacobs. He appeared in a photo with Jacobs, who was wearing a blue vest with a New Jersey State Police emblem, The Star-Ledger found.

The paper quoted Gov. Chris Christie as saying he “just shook my head” when he heard about the allegations.

"What are you going to do? It’s a completely ridiculous story. Shouldn’t have happened. Dumb thing to do, but let me assure you it’s not the last dumb thing we’ll see happen," Christie told a crowd at a bill-signing event in Newark.

"People are human beings," he added. "They make mistakes. Those people who made this mistake should be held accountable, and I’m sure they will. And I’m glad nobody got hurt."

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CHICAGO -- The president of a suburban youth baseball organization has been suspended for posting a racist rant on Facebook regarding the death of singer Whitney Houston.

Oak Lawn officials banned John Kelly from coaching for one year after a parent reportedly spotted the post by Kelly using the "n"-word, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Kelly used the racial slur to complain about the amount of media coverage Houston's death brought.

“I’m so sick of reading about this dumb stupid N - - - - - Whitney Houston,” read part of his Facebook post, according to the Sun-Times.

Read NBCChicago.com's coverage of coach's benching for racial slur

Kelly said his social media page was restricted to adult friends and family, but a former player’s mom spotted the comment and reposted it.

Since the posting, Kelly told the Sun-Times his life has been ruined. He said he's worried about the effect on his business and his kids being taunted. He claims he's not a racist and said he didn't realize he'd used the word in the post.

“I do stand behind everything I said except the ‘n’-word. I regret using that adjective,” he told the Sun Times. “Does that make me a racist? Are you kidding me? It was the farthest thing from my mind. I have some amazing friends who are black.”

This article includes reporting by NBCChicago.com and msnbc.com staff.

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Lathan Goumas / Flint Journal via AP

J.T. Gaskins was suspended from school for violating the school's dress code policy because his hair is too long.

A few inches of hair stand between J.T. Gaskins and an education.

The 17-year-old, who had been treated for cancer and said he now wants to grow his hair to give to Locks of Love -- a charity that provides wigs for kids who lose their hair due to chemotherapy and other treatments -- was recently suspended from Madison Academy, a  charter school in Burton, Mich., for refusing to trim his tresses.

Gaskins told The Flint Journal that he was diagnosed with leukemia as an infant and has been cancer-free since age 7. “This is something I want to do, and I feel very strongly about it.”

The school’s dress code policy, spelled out in the student-parent handbook, says hair must bair must  be kept “clean, neat, free of unnatural or distracting colors, off the collar, off the ears and out of the eyes” for boys.

Gaskins’ hair, which resembles the windswept bangs of Justin Bieber, dangles at his eyes and covers his ears.

His mother, Christa Plante, told the Journal she supports her son and remembers his cancer fight as a small child. “The fact that he’s ready to talk about everything he went through, his strength ... I can’t deny him that. He’s ready to speak out about what he’s been through,” Plante said, according to the newspaper.

Plante started an online petition asking the school board to amend the hair policy for boys. As of Friday, more than 160 people had signed on.  

"Female students can grow and donate their hair, yet boys cannot," the petition says. "... we are simply asking for compromise and to allow not only my son, but anyone wanting to donate to be allowed to do so, to allow the boys the same rights and freedoms as the girl students."

Board meeting
Superintendent Will Kneer says school officials have been trying to work out a solution. He says the five-member school board may soon take up a possible revision to the dress-code policy to take into account special situations like Locks of Love.

“The board is charged with the responsibility of assembling a group of policies and procedures that most uphold the vision and mission of the school and serve the school best as a whole and the community as a whole,” Kneer told msnbc.com on Friday.

Friday was the fourth straight day of classes Gaskins has missed. Kneer says school officials are trying to find ways to provide for his continuing education while he remains out of class.

“My immediate concern is, what are we going to do for this kid to make sure he doesn’t lapse,” Kneer said.

"Personally, my heartfelt desire at this moment is to have that child back in school."

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