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No charges to be filed in case of alleged bullying caught on camera

TACOMA, Wash. — A Peninsula School District teacher seen in a cell phone video showing an alleged incident of bullying won't face charges, the Pierce County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday.

Video of teacher John Rosi and students in a Kopachuck Middle School class apparently bullying a 13-year-old boy last February became public over the summer.

In a news release explaining why there would be no charges, Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said that "while this is unacceptable conduct in a classroom, it's not criminal conduct under the law."

Lindquist said the 13-year-old told his mother that he and other students were "just playing around" when she saw text messages from students about the incident in February.

In September, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department forwarded its investigation to the prosecutor's office, which reviewed the case and decided against filing charges.

It was after the student's parents retained a civil attorney that the matter was reported as a crime, Lindquist said.