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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jlallen who wrote (19263)	7/24/2001 6:26:16 PM
From: Ben Wa	Respond to of 82486

Water balloon hijinks result in assault charge Teacher 'was wet' Chris Wattie National Post A high school student in Southwestern Ontario has been charged with assault with a weapon for throwing a water balloon at a teacher on the last day of school. The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be identified under provisions of the Young Offenders Act, was charged after he lobbed a water-filled balloon at a group of fellow students standing outside a portable classroom at a London, Ont., high school. "A teacher then walked out of her portable to talk to the students," said Constable Ryan Holland, a spokesman for London police. "She was struck from behind by a water balloon." Const. Holland said the teacher went to the school's vice-principal, who called police. "We investigated and determined there were reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offence had occurred," he said. "We laid the appropriate charge." The teacher was not injured by the projectile, Const. Holland said, but he added: "She was wet. [Because] an object was used, the charge was assault with a weapon instead of common assault." The youth's mother called the charge "ludicrous" and blamed the school board's zero-tolerance policy toward violence on school grounds. "The policeman who charged him didn't agree with it, but he said his hands were tied," she said. "I mean, he still graduated, so how bad could it have been?" Spokesmen for the school and for the London District Catholic School Board did not return telephone calls yesterday. A conviction for assault with a weapon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Because the youth, who turned 18 shortly after the incident, was charged under the Young Offenders Act, he could face a sentence of up to two years in custody. Const. Holland acknowledged that there is a board policy regarding school violence, but said such zero-tolerance policies are not binding on police. "Our role is to deal with the complaint," he said. "And a criminal complaint was made in this case." The boy's mother said he has never been in trouble with the law before this and was not a disciplinary problem at school. "He's a popular kid, everyone likes him," she said. "I just don't understand this." The youth's first court appearance on the charge is set for Aug. 3 in a London court. ............ and when I got my 11th grade English teacher wet, she gave me an "A". Guess that's the difference between Canada and the USA!