It's not often that a one-punch "fight" winds up making state-wide news. But it's not often that such a punch is thrown by a parent against his child's high school teacher/coach, or that the punch is premeditated or that the altercation takes place on school grounds. But all those factors were in place when parent Ronald Lee attacked coach Preston Moses at Pebblebrook High School last year, and they were decisive in a Cobb jury's decision last week to find Lee guilty. Cobb Superior Court Judge Tain Kell then handed Lee a five-year prison sentence followed by 10 years on probation.

Lee, who runs a trucking business in Austell, was accused of approaching the coach from behind on the afternoon of Oct. 23, 2008 during football practice. Lee was reportedly upset that the coach had made his son run laps for having missed a class. (That son, then 17, is now in the military and bound for Iraq.)

The arrest warrant in the case said Lee punched the coach in the mouth with "an unknown object," which District Attorney Pat Head said was a roll of pennies clinched in his fist, according to witnesses.

The assault took place in front of the coach's 7-year-old son and Pebblebrook students.

Moses suffered a split lip and gum damage in the incident, had to undergo surgery and probably faces more.

Lee was found not guilty of a charge of aggravated assault, which would have landed him behind bars for 20 years. But he was found guilty of aggravated battery and three counts of cruelty to children, the latter charge resulting from Lee's knowledge that minor-aged children would see the assault.

"Parents have got to understand they can't resort to violence in front of children," Head said. "It's giving the wrong signal."

On the other hand, the stiff sentence in this case sends the right signal. Five years is a long time to sit behind bars for one punch, but Lee got what he deserved. Thanks are in order to the jury, judge, prosecutor and the witnesses who stepped forward to see that in this case at least, justice was done.