SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Prosecutors dismissed child abuse charges Friday against a Santa Fe middle school principal and teacher over allegations the teacher threw paperback books that hit two students.
In a case that pitted school officials against police, the 1st Judicial District attorney’s office said in a court filing that De Vargas Middle School teacher Marcy Slaughter and Principal Marc Ducharme would not be prosecuted. District Attorney Angela Pacheco said Slaughter’s alleged action qualifies as a petty misdemeanor battery, but prosecuting Slaughter “serves no legitimate purpose,” Pacheco wrote.
Pacheco is, however, requiring Slaughter get anger management counseling.
A lawyer listed as Slaughter’s defense attorney in the case did not immediately return a request for comment Friday.
According to authorities, Slaughter threw the books at four students after they disobeyed her April 30. Two were hit by the books. The children weren’t injured aside from some reported redness that faded within a few hours.
Slaughter was charged with two counts of child abuse. Ducharme, who informed district officials about the book-throwing, was charged with misdemeanor obstruction of reporting or investigation of child abuse or neglect. The case raised questions about when such issues should be dealt with by school administrators or by police, as dictated by state law.
In the filing, Pacheco said Ducharme was caught in that conflict.
“It’s for this reason that the interests of justice are best served by dismissing the case against Mr. Ducharme,” Pacheco stated.
Attorney Mark Donatelli, who represented Ducharme, said the charges never should have been filed in the first place. He credited prosecutors with being “receptive” during discussions about dropping charges.
Education officials including Superintendent Joel Boyd criticized the charge against Ducharme. Some said throwing a paperback doesn’t rise to the level of a crime. But Santa Fe Police Chief Eric Garcia defended the officer’s actions.
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