Class mom arrested after confronting son’s bullies in school
A South Carolina mom faces charges after she went to her son’s class to take his bullying issues into her own hands — but says she couldn’t “get the message across any other way,” according to a report.
Jamie Louise Rathburn, a class mom, was arrested last month after she posted a since-deleted video of herself ranting to the third-graders at Greenbrier Elementary School, the Greenville News reported.
Rathburn was charged with interfering, disrupting or disturbing schools three days after the incident.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said the mom went to her son’s class May 17 during the morning school drop-off.
Surveillance video showed her approach the class and “lift her finger in a pointing manner and circle around as if making sure all the kids heard her and were listening,” authorities said.
A teacher told deputies that Rathburn yelled about “not knowing who was bullying her son but that she was going to find them and their moms.”
Rathburn apologized for “allowing emotions to control” her behavior but has since been banned from school grounds.
“I can’t go eat lunch with my children,” Rathburn said. “I can’t watch them on field day. As class mom, that’s devastating.”
The mom said she had reached a breaking point over what she felt was an inadequate response from the school faculty to her multiple complaints.
“I’m frustrated with the children’s actions, but at the end of the day I’m angry with the adults involved in this situation, because we are the ones with the power to stop this,” Rathburn told the Greenville News.
For the mom, the final straw was when the administrators came up with a solution that involved separating her son during recess so they could better watch him, according to the Greenville News.
It was unclear whether her son’s bullies were ever punished and the school wouldn’t provide her with documentation of his situation, citing privacy concerns since the reports may involve other students, she said.
“I am absolutely ashamed of myself for the actions of walking up into that school,” Rathburn told the Greenville News. “You know, I owe the parents, the children and the staff an apology for that. Absolutely, it was wrong. But honestly, I don’t know how I could have gotten my message across any other way.”
Greenville County school officials said they couldn’t comment on Rathburn’s case, according to the newspaper.
She was released on $1,000 bond and her next court date is set for June 18.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/06/11/class-mom-arrested-after-confronting-sons-bullies-in-school/
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