In re Brenda E. CA2/5

I. BACKGROUND

The Los Angeles County District Attorney charged Minor in a Welfare and Institutions Code section 602 petition with a misdemeanor violation of section 243.6. The statute makes it an offense to commit a battery against “a school employee engaged in the performance of his or her duties.” (§ 243.6.) At the adjudication hearing, Charlotte Hinrichs (Hinrichs) testified she was employed as an intervention coordinator at Roybal Learning Center in Los Angeles. She was responsible for “supervis[ing] campus aides, . . . monitor[ing] the campus for safety, and . . . ensur[ing] that students were in class.” Hinrichs was trained “on how to respond to physical altercations between students” and her duties included “preempt[ing] situations.” One afternoon in December 2021, Hinrichs was supervising students and saw Minor walking toward a restroom in a “very focused” and “unusual” manner. Minor entered the restroom, followed by another student named Abigail. Hinrichs suspected the students were going to “vape,” but she heard shouting when

1 Undesignated statutory references that follow are to the Penal Code.

2 she reached the restroom. Hinrichs entered the restroom and saw Minor…