A Riverside, CA man recently filed a restraining order for his son against a school bully. Robert Casteel filed for the restraining order after he alleged that complaints to the school were taken too lightly. The complaint states that the bully threatened his son with a knife, saying “he would get him” after school.

While the ages of the kids (10 years old) might lead to a snap judgment that Casteel may have gone a little overboard, violence at school has been a boilerplate issue ever since the Columbine shootings. And the violence isn’t reserved strictly for high school kids either. Just this week, a 10-year-old boy was arrested and charged with stabbing his 12-year-old friend to death in the driveway of their home.

Police investigated the complaint and did find a pocket knife in the possession of the bully, though the boy denies making any threats towards Casteel’s son.
Regardless, a judge felt there was enough evidence to grant the restraining order, the first time ever in Riverside County that one student has been court ordered to stay away from another. The terms of the restraining order haven’t been released, so it is unclear if the bully will be allowed to attend school without being in violation of the order.

The laws provide you the freedom from feeling threatened. Whether it be from a classmate, a stranger, or even a domestic partner, if you feel threatened, you should immediately contact a Southern California family lawyer to see if a restraining order might be an option for you.