A fist fight in a middle school bathroom last Thursday apparently started because the attacker accused his victim of spitting on him. The end result was a battery charge being filed on the juvenile attacker.

According to Rockdale County Sheriff's Office reports, the School Resource Officer responded Sept. 19 to the 13-year-old victim in the Conyers Middle School clinic. The victim told authorities that he was in the restroom during lunch when someone spit on the assailant. When asked if he did the spitting, the victim told the assailant no and left the bathroom. The victim said his attacker later saw him in the hallway and told him to come in the bathroom, where the attacker punched the victim three times in the face.

The victim had damage to his front teeth and a busted lip, according to RCSO Investigator Michael Camp.

The assailant was charged with battery, "due to the severity of the incident," the school resource officer said in the incident report.
Though a formal complaint was filed, authorities released the assailant to his parents. Camp said the student's legal outcome depends on Rockdale County Juvenile Court.

Rockdale County Public Schools spokesperson Cindy Ball said the school system does not tolerate fighting in school.

"We follow our Code of Conduct protocol to remove students from school who engage in such behavior," Ball said in an emailed response to questions.
According to the RCPS Discipline Code of Conduct, a student violating the fighting rule could be punished with up to 10 days of suspension. Students violating the aggravated battery rule could receive automatic/immediate 10-day suspension, mandatory referral to the student disciplinary hearing, and mandatory referral to law enforcement.

Ball said an investigation continues to determine if any other students were involved in the fight.

Both students were in the eighth grade.