Prank on Sleeping Student Could be Considered Assault

A prank on a sleeping student in Monroe Utah could be considered assault… if they ever find the prankster.

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18 year old Sydnee Anderson, a senior at South Sevier High School fell asleep in one of her classes only to discover later that during her nap someone had cut off a lock of her hair. Anderson didn’t notice that some of her hair was missing until later when she tried to put her hair in a ponytail. To make matters worse, the prankster posted a confession of the hair cutting on an anonymous app available to all the students in Sydnee’s school.

Prank turned assault?

While many see this as a case of cyber bulling, others may look at it as assault. Utah code 76-5-102 states that “Assault is . . . an act, committed with unlawful force or violence, that causes bodily injury to another . . .” Although hair is technically dead cells, when it is still attached to the head it could be seen as part of the body and an act of violence against the hair could be claimed as an act of assault. Likewise, some could claim the scissors were a weapon in the assault to increase the charges. Assault charges in a case like this may be a long shot, but it’s not worth the risk of jail and a fine for a joke.

When a joke goes too far

The intentions of the student who cut Anderson’s hair are unknown, as is the identification of the amateur hairdresser. No one knows for sure if the other student meant this as a form of cyberbullying or if they realized the possibility of assault charges if caught. Teens who have taken a joke too far and are now facing charges should contact a juvenile defense attorney as soon as possible.