State Declines Prosecution

In ‘French Flag’ Case

By Andrew Gorosko

Following its review of a police investigation into the March burning of a painted canvas stage prop that resembled a French flag, the Danbury state’s attorney’s office has decided against pursuing criminal charges in the case.

Newtown police Detective Sergeant Robert Tvardzik said the prosecutor’s office at Danbury Superior Court on April 10 opted against pressing charges.

Three Newtown High School students were suspended from class for a week after they took an international signal flag, which was created for the spring musical Anything Goes, and then burned it on the sidewalk outside the school’s main entrance of the afternoon of March 18. The prop resembled the tricolor blue-white-red design of a French flag.

One of the youths involved in the incident, who reportedly has a brother serving overseas in military, was annoyed by the presence of the prop on the school’s stage, due to France’s failure to support the United States in its war with Iraq, and thus burned the prop.

Two youths who took part in the high school incident were the focus of the police investigation. Det Sgt Tvardzik declined to identify the youths.

Detective Jason Frank, who was the school resource officer for Newtown High School at the time of the incident, investigated the case.

In such cases, a prosecutor reviews the facts of a situation, as they are presented in an investigatory report by police, and determines whether any laws were broken, and if so, whether the matter warrants charges being filed. If the prosecutor decides to pursue charges, he submits the matter to a judge for review. If a judge agrees to pursue charges, arrest warrants are issued, which police then serve against the people accused of criminal wrongdoing.

The three students who were suspended for a week were given time to make up their missed schoolwork during their weeklong suspensions, as required by state law.