BENTON CITY -- A student who accused his high school principal of threatening him with a knife obtained a temporary no-contact order against the school administrator Friday.
Wayne Barrett, the principal of Kiona-Benton City High School, must not come within 100 feet of Roel Corral and may not keep him "under surveillance," the Benton County District Court ordered.
Corral asked the court for the no-contact order because he felt harassed by Barrett at school since the alleged incident, he wrote in the petition.
The court issued a temporary order that will be in effect until a hearing scheduled for Sept. 28.
Superintendent Rom Castilleja did not return messages left on his office voice mail Friday.
It's unclear how the principal could maintain a 100-foot distance between himself and a student in the school.
Barrett on the first day of school allegedly pulled out a knife and threatened to cut off a rosary 18-year-old Corral was wearing around his neck.
A teacher who heard about the incident the next day notified the Benton County Sheriff's Office, which sent deputies to question the principal, the student and at least one other student who witnessed the alleged incident.
School officials last week said they considered the matter closed, since no criminal charges had yet been filed against Barrett.
But Benton County Prosecutor Andy Miller told the Herald at the time that no decision had been made whether to file charges, because his office still was reviewing the sheriff's investigation.
A Monday night school board meeting drew a large crowd, including Corral's family members. Many in the crowd appeared unsatisfied that district officials declined to say whether Barrett had been disciplined for the alleged incident.
Barrett has been back at school and Corral's family retained Kristi McKennon, a Kennewick attorney, to file the no-contact order.
In the petition to the court, Corral said that he doesn't feel "safe or comfortable with the way (Barrett) looks or interacts" with him since the incident.
"Knowing he's at school intimidates and distracts me from my studies in class," Corral said in the petition.
Barrett previously had told the Herald he did not want to comment while the investigation was ongoing.
Violation of the order is considered a criminal offense, which could result in arrest, according to the court document.
If the prosecutor files charges, the family would ask him to issue a criminal no-contact order, said McKennon, the attorney.
If no charges are filed, the family would ask the court to extend the civil no-contact order, she said.
