San Bernardino County DA declines to file criminal charges in middle school fight seen on video

COLTON, Calif. - The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office announced they have declined to file charges after a video showed a fight between two students at a middle school in Colton.

The video, which showed a male student pulling a female student’s hair, sparked outrage in the school community, with some community leaders claiming the fight stemmed from racism. 

San Bernardino County DA: ‘This was an anomaly’

What we know:

San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said his office will not file charges against either teen seen in the video that was taken on Monday, March 10 at Jehue Middle School. The school is within the Rialto Unified School District. 

A press release stated that "an incomplete portion of the incident was captured on video that was released to the public."

"Although not a factor in our filing decisions, no party involved in the incident or their families desired prosecution. "Additionally, filing decisions will never be swayed by protest, press conferences and media statements that rely upon disinformation, hyperbole and agendas," DA Anderson said. 

His statement continued to say, "This was an anomaly. My expectation is that both children can move on from this and will not be defined by the conduct. I am confident that the school district will continue to take the proper steps to assist these students and ensure measures are in place to avoid similar circumstances in the future."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Caught on camera: Parents outraged over video showing fight at middle school in Colton
• Mom insists 'it's not about race' after her son pulled classmate by her hair in California middle school fight

Fight video sparked community outrage

The backstory:

The video showing the two 14-year-olds fighting sparked outrage with parents and activists demanding disciplinary action. They pointed to the large male, at one point, slamming the much smaller framed female onto a desk and knocking her out.

"The video speaks for itself, so I don't care who started or how it started. We saw the video. This victim is the young female student who was knocked unconscious on videotape," Najee Ali with Project Islamic Hope previously stated. 

Activists demanded that the male student be suspended and arrested for racial assault. 

Parents have also reported that the boy may have been bullying others. 

After the video surfaced, the boy’s mother said the family had received death threats.

She told FOX 11 her son was trying to protect himself, and that the fight began before the video, when he borrowed a pencil from the classmate and passed it on to another student. "At that point, she became enraged and attacked him," says the mother, claiming she hit him with a water bottle.

The Colton Police Department conducted an investigation and forwarded their findings to the San Bernardino County DA’s office for review. 

The boy was cited for assault with a deadly weapon, while the girl was cited for battery on school grounds.