An Anne Arundel Circuit Court judge found four Meade High School students delinquent yesterday on charges stemming from a brawl in September that sent a school librarian to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center and left him in need of a cane to walk.
Judge Eugene M. Lerner found two 17-year-old twin brothers and a 16-year-old student delinquent --the juvenile equivalent of guilty -- of assault with intent to maim in the Sept. 30 attack on Donald Gobbi, 50, a former Meade High School librarian from Odenton.
A 15-year-old was found delinquent of disturbing school activities.
Judge Lerner scheduled disposition, the juvenile equivalent of sentencing, for March 21 and ordered the youths held at the Cheltenham Youth Facility until then.
When one of the youths' mothers stood up to protest, the judge responded with a pronouncement about the importance of curbing school violence.
"The schools in this county are going to remain safe. They're going to remain safe for teachers and they're going to remain safe for students," he said. "The word has to go out that this court is not going to tolerate this kind of activity in our schools."
Judge Lerner also threatened to hold each youth and his parents liable for up to $5,000 in restitution, the legal maximum, for Mr. Gobbi.
"This man, he's just been crippled, simply as a result of trying to perform his duties as a teacher," the judge said.
All four youths could be committed to juvenile facilities until age 21, said assistant state's attorney Lawrence J. Caporale, who prosecuted the case.
According to trial testimony, Mr. Gobbi was kicked in the head and back several times when he rushed to break up a brawl in a second-floor hallway at the school about 10:30 a.m. Sept. 30.
Mr. Gobbi, who worked at the school since it opened in 1977, referred questions to his attorney, Richard C. Goodwin of Annapolis.
"It's been physically terrifying for him and emotionally, it's been even worse," Mr. Goodwin said.
He said Mr. Gobbi, a former warrant officer in the Army Reserves, remains on leave from his position as a school librarian. He can walk only with a cane, has no feeling in his right foot and has a palsy in his hands that makes it difficult for him to bring a drink or a fork to his lips, Mr. Goodwin said.
Three other youths and one adult have been charged in connection with the incident.
Marcus A. Costen, 18, of the 1800 block of Meade Village Circle, Severn, who was a student at the school, is to be tried on assault charges in Annapolis District Court on Feb. 24.
A 14-year-old youth pleaded guilty to disturbing school activities Tuesday and is scheduled to be sentenced March 2.