This is a smart way to handle it rather than making hate speech a crime. I don't mean this on a 1st amendment or pro/anti PC grounds, I simply mean that enabling a civil process takes it out of the criminal domain, speeding up the process and being more likely to address the real problem.
Gotta love how they are letting the police away scot free and putting it on the falsely accused.
If the 911 call is dubious, the police should charge the caller themselves. Why should the falsely accused waste any more time?