Did Jack Torrance from The Shining get charged for assaulting a minor before he became the caretaker at the Overlook hotel?
1 Answer
In the book, it's strongly suggested that he wasn't charged with any criminal offence, presumably because he would have also had a pretty good case (for vandalism) against the boy that he hit. Regardless of the decision to avoid legal action, the boy was expelled and the School Board fired Jack.
I've edited + abridged for ease of reading;
There was a boy named George Hatfield that Daddy had to cut from the team. That means he wasn't as good as some of the others. George said your daddy cut him because he didn't like him and not because he wasn't good enough. Then George did a bad thing. I think you know about that." “Was he the one who put the holes in our bug's tires?” “Yes, he was. It was after school and your daddy caught him doing it.”
"Something like that, honey. Your daddy hit George to make him stop cutting the tires and George hit his head. Then the men who are in charge of the school said that George couldn't go there anymore and your daddy couldn't teach there anymore." She stopped, out of words, and waited in dread for the deluge of questions. “Oh,” Danny said, and went back to looking up the street. Apparently the subject was closed.