D.A. Won’t File Charges Against Girl in Bite Case

Prosecutors declined to file charges against a 16-year-old accused of biting a school principal two months ago during a melee at an Orange school board meeting.

Orange police had sought assault and battery charges against the girl, but prosecutors believed the case was weak, said Tori Richards, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney’s office, on Monday.

“We rejected that case on Friday because of insufficient evidence” that the accused girl was the one who did the biting, Richards said. However, she said, police could come up with more evidence and present the case for review again.

Police have already presented a videotape of the March 9 Orange Unified School District board meeting, at which Ninja-clad protesters disrupted public comments about a gay student support club. The tape does not show the bite. Police Capt. Art Romo said they also have submitted records from the girl’s administrative hearing in the school district, the outcome of which is protected by confidentiality rules.

“We collected the facts in the case, and we made the presentation to the [prosecutor’s] office,” Romo said. “They asked for quite a lot of things, which we provided. . . . After seeing it for several weeks, they came up with their decision and rejected the case.”

The student’s mother, who asked that her minor daughter not be named, said she felt vindicated by the development. She and her daughter are considering their legal options--including the possibility of filing a false arrest suit.

“Obviously, I’m relieved,” she said. “I feel like we can continue our lives again. I’d like the whole world to know she didn’t do anything wrong.”

An Orange Unified spokeswoman said the district would not comment on the prosectors’ decision.

About 30 hooded, black-clad protesters attended the meeting in a show of solidarity for the Gay-Straight Alliance Club at El Modena High School. The club now meets under a federal judge’s order. The club’s student founders filed a civil rights lawsuit against the district when the board initially refused to allow the club on campus; that lawsuit is awaiting trial.

Club President Anthony Colin has said the protest at the board meeting was not a club activity.

The skirmish erupted when two of the protesters rushed toward the podium, interrupting the comments of one club opponent. The meeting was disbanded. As protesters fled the meeting room, some of them tussled with administrators. In the conflict, one principal received a bite and another administrator suffered a scratch.