Mom accused of threatening school shooting over son's suspension

[left-of-center2012]

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida mother is accused of threatening to shoot up an elementary school after her son was suspended from riding the bus for fighting. Ocala police officials say 29-year-old Melissa Giddens was arrested Wednesday after officials at College Park Elementary School alerted them to a threatening voicemail she left.

The Ocala Star-Banner reports school officials told officers Giddens’ son had been suspended from the bus three days for an April 29 fight.

An officer went to Giddens’ home and played her the recording of the message. An arrest report says Giddens told investigators she was frustrated with the school and the bus driver.

She was charged with making a threat to kill, do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting. She remains in jail.

https://www.apnews.com/5a7c0492eb3b446c95d30db242dd9d32

[magicarpet]

1. Jeez,.. use your brain,... before your mouth.

Mom's behavior may explain why sonny boy is so inclined to violence for an instant remedy to conflict resolution.

[gibraltar72]

2. Being frustrated is now a perfectly good legal defense.

[MaryMagdaline]

3. Forgive my sympathy for this woman

They would call child services if her son was truant, and she probably has no way to get her kid to school without the bus. She definitely belongs in jail for her vicious threat but I hope she and her family get help.

[lpbk2713]

4. Florida schools work under the framework set up by Jeb Bush and Rick Scott.

I know how frustrating it is to deal with school officials personally, although I was never tempted to commit violence. My grandson was emotionally challenged all through school. He had brain surgery at age six for a brain tumor. He was epileptic and "not like other kids" after that. His seizures and other actions made him a target of bullying all through school. Once he was pushed in a mud puddle in the winter time. Talking with Polk County School Administrators on different levels did no good. His mother was a working single parent of three at home and simply couldn't deal with this every day. My grandson is now 25 and unable to interact with other humans on any level. When he reached tenth grade his mother asked what could be done to help him. She was told bluntly to make him quit school. He continued anyway and the bullying continued as well. He is very proud of his diploma. But he will continue to have seizures the rest of his life and he is not emotionally equipped to deal with the rest of the world. Therefore he will never get any meaningful employment. He cannot get a driver's license either. Bush and Scott butchered the Florida school system. The good teachers who remained for a while found work elsewhere rather than work with their hands tied.

I know nothing about Ms Giddens' case. And certainly threatening violence is unacceptable. But I can understand her frustration in trying to deal with school officials if she tried to get help with an underlying problem. They just can't be bothered. Anyone who wants a solution to a continuing problem is just a troublemaker in their eyes.

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