Staff report

Charges against a King’s Fork Middle School male student, originally charged with inappropriately touching a female classmate last week, were declared unfounded on Wednesday.

The incident did occur, however, it was consentual between the two students, the police investigation determined, said Suffolk Police Sgt. Stephen Smith.

The status of the male student’s suspension could not be confirmed with Suffolk Schools spokeswoman Bethanne Bradshaw at press time Wednesday night.

Originally, the female seventh-grader told school officials that the male student touched her breasts and attempted to pull down her pants during a music class, according to the initial police report.

Bradshaw said the school system’s recently implemented lying policy, which penalizes students for making false allegations, would not apply in this case.

&uot;The difference is that the police were looking at a criminal charge,&uot; Bradshaw said. &uot;We still look at the incident on our side, and we would have considered a more serious charge if the police had found a charge against the male student. There were witnesses, so the issue isn’t that it was a made-up story.

&uot;In similar cases where police have investigated an allegation which might have resulted in criminal charges against a student, and then police called the case unfounded,&uot; Bradshaw added in a written statement, &uot;the school division has reinstated the student.

&uot;The student may still be disciplined to a lesser extent, according to school policy, but not expelled.&uot;