A Louisiana woman has been arrested after allegedly sharing a video showing two school children fighting in violation of a little-known state law.
Maegan Adkins-Barras, 32, has been arrested on suspicion of unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity after allegedly sharing a video of a fight which broke out between two students at Acadiana High School in Lafayette on February 19.
According to the Scott Police Department, Adkins-Barras obtained footage of the fight from her son's cellphone and then posted it to social media where it was shared repeatedly, reports KPEL.
The video shows a fight between two teenagers at the commons area of Acadiana High School. During the altercation, one of the juveniles punches the other, causing him to fall and hit his head on a concrete bench. The student was then taken to a local medical facility for treatment of his injuries.
Under state law, a person arrested for unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity must have been either "a principal or accessory to a crime," although it is unclear whether Adkins-Barras was present at the time of the fight.
Franz Borghardt, a criminal defense attorney, said he had never heard of the obscure law until Adkins-Barras's arrest.
"The police are going to have some hurdles," Borghardt told The Acadania Advocate. "They're going to have to either establish that she was a principal or accessory to the fight, and that means they're going to have to establish that she was there and somehow started or encouraged the fight.
"But more so, they'll have to establish that she posted it to social media to establish notoriety or publicity. Just because you post something on social media doesn't mean you're looking for that. I think it just smells of desperation in the sense that they're trying to fit a square peg in a round hole."
In a statement, the Scott Police Department said: "Parents who receive information concerning criminal activity on school campuses are urged to contact their local police department or school administration. Posting videos and photos of illegal activity on social media is against the law in the State of Louisiana."
Police previously arrested one juvenile on suspicion of second-degree battery while another faces charges of disturbing the peace by fighting in connection with the altercation. Adkins-Barras faces up to six months in prison if convicted of the charge.
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