By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A HEATED lunchtime dispute at Jack Hayward Junior High exploded into violence when a guidance counsellor allegedly attacked a colleague, leaving her eyeglasses destroyed in the fray.

Magistrate LaQuay Laing heard the case in Grand Bahama’s Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where Sophia Morley, coordinator of the Guidance Department, is accused of assaulting fellow counsellor Shani Bowe and damaging her glasses during a May 12 confrontation.

Ms Bowe, the first witness for the prosecution, described a tense standoff that spiralled out of control over lunches meant for students in the school’s National Lunch Programme. She said she had set aside meals for her drama club students to eat while rehearsing, but Ms Morley ran out of lunches during her distribution shift and demanded the ones on Ms Bowe’s desk.

According to Ms Bowe, Ms Morley began shouting and ordered her to hand over the lunches. When Ms Bowe refused, Ms Morley insisted she come to her office.

“I followed her into her office, and we argued. She pushed me backward as I was standing in her doorway. Then she swung the door, which struck the right side of my body,” Ms Bowe testified.

She claimed Morley locked the door and launched a physical attack, sparking a violent struggle that saw both women crashing to the floor. Administrators pounded on the door to intervene, but Ms Morley allegedly blocked them by pressing her body against it.

Eventually, Ms Bowe managed to unlock the door. Vice Principal Anderson-Brown and Senior Mistress Adderley-Stuart rushed in, separated the women, and escorted Ms Bowe to safety.

Ms Bowe told the court that her glasses, worth $118, were twisted beyond use during the scuffle. “Please, do not step on her glasses,” she recalled Vice Principal Brown saying, followed by an “Oh” of dismay before returning the bent frames to her.

During cross-examination, defence attorney Ernie Wallace pressed Ms Bowe on whether she had informed ms Morley in advance about pulling the lunches on Ms Morley’s assigned day.

“No, sir,” Ms Bowe admitted, but insisted Ms Morley knew she was feeding students who were rehearsing.

Ms Wallace suggested Ms Bowe was undermining Ms Morley’s authority and depriving students of their lunches. Ms Bowe denied the accusations, maintaining she acted properly.

When asked if blows were exchanged, Ms Bowe acknowledged the fight but insisted, “Yes, she did, and I did land a blow, but it was in self-defence.”

She said the glasses were knocked off during the fight but admitted she didn’t actually see Ms Morley break them.

Police Constable Abigail McKenzie testified that she investigated the incident after being briefed by Sgt 2968 Miller on May 19. She said Ms Morley came to the Northeastern Police Station but, on legal advice, refused to answer questions or sign a statement.

Ms McKenzie admitted under questioning that charges were laid solely based on statements from school administrators, without any confession or admission from Ms Morley herself.

The case was adjourned to July 11, when Vice Principal Anderson-Brown is expected to testify.