California schoolgirl arrested in Trump hat classroom fracas

A California high school student has been arrested after allegedly throwing a classmate's Make America Great Again hat to the ground.

The student reportedly "verbally berated" the classmate and slapped a teacher's arm, El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

Authorities have withheld the students' names due to the age of those involved.

A pupil at Union Mine High School told local media she is facing battery charges following the incident.

The 17-year-old told a CBS affiliate the Maga hats - a staple of President Trump's campaign - are a "racist and hateful symbol."

According to the sheriff's office, the student began verbally attacking her peer on Monday because of the Maga hat, before grabbing and hurling it to the ground.

When the teacher intervened, holding out his arm to separate the two students, the suspect allegedly slapped his arm.

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The student was arrested and taken to El Dorado County Juvenile Hall. She faces two battery charges - against both the boy and teacher.

She has been suspended from school for a week over the English class fracas, report local media.

The teenager told CBS she was venting her political opinion.

"Maybe just wake people up in some type of way, because it's not cool the environment our classroom is in," she said.

It is not the first time that someone wearing a Trump hat has allegedly been targeted.

Attacks against Americans wearing Maga merchandise have been reported at least twice, this past summer alone.