(TheRedWire.com) – In Washington State, the House of Representatives has introduced a new bill that would result in students and adults who are caught on public school grounds fighting being charged with felonies.
The bill was introduced by Republican state Rep. Suzanne Schmidt who had stated that she had introduced House Bill 2079 because of a friend of hers who had been referring to a wrestling match and had been assaulted by one of the wrestlers. As she shared her friend had ended up suffering from a permanent disability after he had been knocked unconscious.
Schmidt pointed out that each year there were more and more of these incidents and that there were many coaches and referees who ended up being physically assaulted at sporting events.
The House Bill 2079 would classify fights on school grounds as a class C felony instead of being considered a gross misdemeanour. Students who are fighting on school grounds would also be removed from the school under the bill, while non-students who fight could end up being blocked from the property for one year.
Schmidt pointed out that sports are meant to be fun and that there was no place for intimidation and assaults on sports officials, players, or coaches.
She added that these extracurricular activities are very important for the youth and that currently there is a shortage of referees in Washington state because people who want to join as officials do not want to face assault or intimidation and they want to know that they are protected by those who could harm them.
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