Mom Picks Up Daughter On Horse, School Balks

"Instead, a police officer drove the girl home, where she waited alone until her mother arrived"


*****really the police officer drove her home and she waited ALONE til her mother arrived and exactly how is that safer then her mother picking her up from school so that he doesnt have to hang around the campus all afternoon*****

THe first question is does the city have ordinances against horses in the areas the mother rode the animal. If not, them the principal overstepped her authority. Would she have released the child to a parent on a motorcycle? What other vehicles are deemed inappropriate? Second question - how old was the child? The officer drove her home and LEFT her unattended? That situation could be just as dangerous or more so.

Yes, they should have let the mother have her daughter. She would not have brought the horse there if she had not thought it was safe. I say kudos to her for trying to save money and time. It might be different for some people, but I guarantee you, that the little girl would have had NO problems getting on that horse with her mom. Why did the school personnel think they knew more than the child's own mother about her safety. They had no reason to think she would endanger the life of her child. Most "city" folks don't know that horses can be safe if they are use to traffic.

Nut job extremists from the left and right are always accusing upper level politicians with destroying the Constitution and robbing us of our freedoms, but it's the lower level bureaucrats who have a greater impact on our daily activities. Every time they come up with a new policy or procedure, it restricts activity, only to make things more convenient for themselves. They employ these things under the guise of greater safety, reduced expense or greater efficiency, but the reality is that they are doing it to reduce the personal effort they have to put forth and to make a showing to justify their jobs. Unless they manage to anger a large portion of the population, there are never any repercussions for restricting the lives and activities of others, and we can't even vote them out of office. If you mount a campaign against them, you end up looking like a nut job extremist yourself, but there must surely be a way to reign in these petty small minded bureaucrats and their chickensh*t rules.

Of course, don't vote for this president again because we have all new school officials since he was elected. How ridiculous!
When my children were in school, I did not wait in line for any time to pick them up. I would wait ten minutes after dismissal time to go pick them up so all the crazy parent drivers could get out of the parking lot. Not only did it avoid a lot of stress on my part, but my children often got a few more leisurely minutes with their teachers, helping with little jobs in the room or getting additional one-on-one learning in those few minutes.

the school board and system are way out of order. i agree that a paarent should be able to pickup their child anyway they want too, as long as it does not hurt or indanger the child. principal johnson should be arrested for unlawful detention of the child named in this situation.

I cannot believe that a principal of any school would take it upon him/herself to usurp a parent's authority in this day and age of frivolous lawsuits. It makes me wonder if this school district has a published policy against horseback riding/horses/non-traditional transportation. I, also, agree with those who said that the parent is misrepresenting herself about her finances. However, I do not think that is the point! This principal better prepare herself for some controversy.

I agree...in MA it is against the law to not allow a parent to collect a child unless there is a restraining order or the parent is abusive to the child and you witness it. And not for nothing, the police left the child ALONE until the mother returned??? Really?? But that's OK??

The school is liable if the child falls off the horse and is injured on campus. It would be "loco" to sue them for that, but they're still legally liable to that injury.

ARE U KIDDING ME???? In NJ our state animal is the horse. This majestic animal has the right away on our roads! The rider of that horse knows what she is doing as a rider. The mother of that child knows what she is doing as a mother. ANd the child rides horseback also. The Principal does NOT know what he/she is doing. Dismissing children one at a time???? for hours???? Does he/she think this is productive to one's day? Less family time, homework time and play time? Maybe she/he is not in a hurry to get home for some reason or maybe it is a power trip undeserving. ALL the power to the parent who challenges ridiculous rules put in place by ridiculous people. God bless this family and their horse~ Amen

I'd bet the "cop" DID NOT have the proper prescribed chilld restraint seat in his patrol car safely. The school can't see the forest for the trees.

The school did the right thing. If something had happened to that student or someone been hurt by the horse or whatever they would find some crazy reason to blame the school. That is just the way society is today. People sue for the craziest reason no matter how much the incident was their fault. The school must protect itself, period.

I can't believe some of you are blaming this on Obama...........Get real!

There are times that I believe they are conditioning our kids for a police state. My old high school looks like a penitentiary, surrounded with barbed wire topped chain link fencing and policepatrolling the grounds. Several of the school districts have created their own independent judicial systems in which kids are sentenced with fines and community service for the heinous crimes of running in the halls, chewing gum and being in possession of the wrong kind of writing instruments. The teachers don't enforce any kind of disclipine. They abdicate all authority to the school cops. How much respect is that going to command? If I had school age kids, home schooling would be looking pretty good because it looks like all these kids are learning is contempt for authority. I guess these people don't realize that they more they try to tighten their procedures, the more resistance they will encounter, particular when the means and methods are so chickensh*t. If I was in school under those circumstances, I'd be looking daily for ways to thumb my nose at them, but they'd probably just come up with more petty rules.

Scott Edwards - What does the President have to do with this story?? You bash the school on this (which I agree with), but probably applauded them when they didn't show the Presidential address today. This is what is wrong with our society lately!!!!! All the whiners who are still pissed about LAST YEAR's election and are wanting to stir all the trouble they can. Whatever happened to being American and supporting your country AND President, whether you agreed with them or not. I applaud the mother for what she did. And again, the President had nothing to do with it!!!!!

take a good look at this area at google maps. this is a fairly rural area. the principal is way out of line and needs to be repramanded for her actions. this would not be legal to do in los angeles or many other metro areas, a special permit would be required. however palos verdes, north hollywood and other ares in los angeles have horse trails all thru the comunity. i guess the bottom line is weather or not it is legal or not to ride the horse in that area.... yeehaa

The only thing I found about animals being on the roads is that by Florida state law people must yield the right of way to someone riding horses on public roads, and that any child under the age of 12 should wear a helmet. This was an elementary school and I would guess that the child was under 12 so the principal might use that as his reason to not release the child. HOWEVER I would have been beyond mad if they didn't release my child to me no matter. That's my kid and it isn't the principals responsiblity once I arrive to decide if I'm fit to take my kid home. Seemed the mother was trying to make a statement about the parking issue.

How can the principal determine if the horse is safe or not around traffic/construction? I know many horses who are perfectly safe to ride on the street with cars whizzing past because they are trained to remain calm despite noise and distraction. The mother knows her child (and her horse) better than anyone! As far as the officer goes, he should never,ever have left that child alone. As usual people in a position of power overstep their bounds.. *sigh* At least one mom was commuting "green!" *cheers for mom*

What gives the school the right to deny the parent their child? Who's to say whether it is safe for the child to ride home with the parent even if it is on horseback? If it was my child I'd have that principal's head on a platter.

I agree that the principle and the police were out of line. The sad truth is that schools can not be sued unless there has been severe physical harm. They have 'immunity' as I have been told by a number of lawyers. Lawyers will not touch a case against a school employee (teacher,principle) as they will be arguing against the most powerful union in america....the teachers union. If anyone knows of a lawyer who will take such a case please email me his contact info.