Teen Sets His Classmate’s Hair Ablaze At Midwood High School; Charged With Felony Assault

[Update 12/14 11am: This article has been lightly edited] Yesterday morning, a 17-year-old student set his classmate’s hair on fire at Midwood High School on Bedford Avenue.

While sitting in class, a 17-year-old boy reached over and set a girl’s hair on fire with a lighter at 9am on Tuesday, December 13, cops said. The victim, also 17, was rushed to Mt. Sinai Brooklyn Hospital where she suffered third-degree burns to her ear and scalp, and singed hair.

“Safety always comes first, and we are working in close partnership with the NYPD,” said an Education Department spokesperson to the NY Daily News.

The fire-sparking student was charged with felony assault, police said, and he is being charged as an adult. Cops found no prior arrests on his record.

Today, New York State is one of just two states that prosecutes and incarcerates 16- and 17-year-olds as adults, though cycling kids through the criminal justice system leads to a 26 percent higher likelihood of reincarceration, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Last year, Cuomo introduced a criminal justice reform to campaign ‘Raise the Age‘ of criminal responsibility to eighteen to “reduce crime, recidivism, and costs to the state.” Read more about how Governor Cuomo’s bill could impact youth incarceration here.