An incident between two male students at California School for the Deaf/Riverside that a state official characterized as “playing around” is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol.

The investigation comes at a time when the school is under scrutiny for its supervision of its students after the mother of a male student sued the school and the state in 2014, alleging that they did little to prevent another boy from running a “sex club” that involved assaults.

The CHP, which has jurisdiction over state-run schools such as the School for the Deaf, learned of the incident Thursday, Oct. 1, Officer Travis Monks said.

State Department of Education spokesman Andrew LaMar said that on Monday, staff observed one boy “poking” another on the rear end in an open kitchen area of a cottage, where many students stay overnight during the week.

“They were just playing around,” LaMar said.

Staff intervened, counseled the boys and contacted their parents, LaMar said.

“We’re considering whether additional consequences are needed,” he said.

LaMar couldn’t say who called the CHP or why someone considered the incident a criminal matter. School officials could not be reached after hours Thursday for comment.

In October 2014, a lawsuit was filed that said a boy who attended the school would make other male students – including the plaintiff’s son – perform sexual acts by bullying them, threatening to spread rumors or using force. The suit claims that the acts would occur in cottages early in the morning or late at night, or elsewhere during school activities.

The assaults started when the alleged perpetrator was in sixth grade in the 2011-12 school year and continued through the 2013-14 school year, the lawsuit says.

The CHP investigated those claims and forwarded its report to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. The DA has declined to comment on the case because it involves minors.

The California School for the Deaf/Riverside serves about 400 hard-of-hearing boys and girls in kindergarten through 12th grade. One of two such schools in the state, it takes students from Bakersfield to the California-Mexico border.

Because it is a state-run school, the CHP has jurisdiction for investigating criminal allegations.