Paul Bittner, 42, pleaded not guilty on June 21, 2024, to charges of hate crime and assault of an 11-year-old Black student on a field trip on June 12, 2024.
Whatcom Middle School students were walking back to campus from a field trip on June 12 when Bittner crossed the street, right in front of a police station, and punched the student, causing the child's tooth to chip, according to police. “These set of circumstances is extremely rare," she said. "It’s not conducive to our community, it’s absolutely disgusting, and we don’t see that very often at all."
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