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In re D. H.

O.C.G.A. § 20-2-1181-prohibiting disrupting or interfering with the operation of a public school-is not unconstitutionally vague, since the natural and obvious meaning of the statute's language sufficiently warns persons of ordinary intelligence of the prohibited conduct and it is not subject to arbitrary or discriminatory enforcement.

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The appellant, thirteen-year-old D. H., appeals from the trial court’s judgment that she had committed the delinquent offense of disrupting a public school under OCGA § 20-2-1181. On appeal, D. H. contends that § 20-2-1181 is unconstitutionally vague and overbroad. For the reasons that follow, we affirm. 1. The evidence of record shows that D. H. became boisterous, irate, and “very loud” in a class and that the classroom activity had to stop until D. H. was removed. There was also evidence that, when D. H. was taken to the principal’s office, she continued to be loud, boisterous, and disrespectful. The school principal testified that D. H. refused to comply with anything that he asked her to do, and that, although he requested that she remain in his office, D. H. left the office about five times, causing the principal and other staff members to stop what they were doing, “figure out where she was going and get her back to the office.” Following the conclusion of testimony, D. H.’s attorney raised a constitutional challenge to § 20-2-1181 that consisted, in total, of his statement that the statute was unconstitutionally vague. The trial court ruled against that challenge, found that D. H. was a delinquent juvenile, and placed her on probation in her own home subject to the supervision and direction of a juvenile probation specialist.

2. OCGA § 20-2-1181 provides, in relevant part, that “it shall be unlawful for any person to disrupt or interfere with the operation of any public school . . . . Any person violating this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.” D. H. contends that the statute is unconstitutionally vague, as the terms “disrupt” and “interfere” are not defined. We disagree.

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