Bullying Report Leads To Charges

PRAIRIE GROVE — Two students, a 15-year-old boy and 14-year-old boy, were cited Oct. 14 in connection with assault in the second degree, harassment and terroristic threatening, all misdemeanors, according to a Prairie Grove police report.

According to the narrative by school resource officer David Faulk, the victim reported that the two boys forcefully pulled him into the lobby bathroom near the high school cafeteria, where one of the suspects started pushing him and kicking him, causing him to fall and hit his head. The victim said the suspects pushed him inside a bathroom stall and would not let him get out. He was then allowed to come out of the stall but said one of the boys forcefully grabbed his private area and then both suspects left the bathroom laughing.

The victim said that similar events have happened before where the suspects pushed him around and then would not let him get out of a bathroom stall. The victim told police the suspects are bigger than him and he is not strong enough to push them away.

Another boy also told Faught that both suspects have bullied him in the same manner and have locked him in a bathroom stall.

The report states that a third student who talked to police as a witness about the bathroom incident had reported that he was threatened by the suspects for talking to police.

One of the suspects admitted to what happened in the bathroom with the victim, according to the police report. Police interviewed the suspect with his parents. The report said the suspect did not give a reason for why the victim was bullied.

The parents of the second suspect said they had been advised by their attorney not to give a statement.

Both boys were released to their parents with a Nov. 3 court date in Washington County Juvenile Court.