Mad Mom Rides Horse to School to Pick Up Daughter
The pick up lane line at our school scares me. No, let me rephrase that — the pick up line diagram at our school scares me. Which is probably why we walk to school six months out of the year. The other three, I drop off out front where there are few parking spots, but where no one needs a diagram to figure the whole thing out.
A Jacksonville, Florida mom was so put off by her school’s pick-up policy that reportedly left parents sitting in line for one to two hours she decided to ride her horse to school and pick up her daughter instead. School authorities were not pleased.
Deidre (no last name given) admits that she was really just trying to make a point. In fact, she’d parked her horse trailer just a few blocks away. But she says that the long wait isn’t just annoying, it’s expensive. “I don’t have the funds in my budget to sit in lines for an hour to two and a half hours to wait for my daughter,” she said in an interview with a local news station.
Though Deidre had also saddled a horse for her daughter, school principal Jaime Johnson refused to let the 8-year-old go with her mother. “Our first priority is the safety of our children, and during our arrival/dismissal, their safety is first and foremost a priority on campus,” Johnson said. The principal would not to let go of the child’s hand, and police were called to usher Deidre and her horses away.
Deidre’s daughter was driven home and, according to new reports, left alone while her mother loaded up her horses. Even though Deidre wasn’t allowed to pick up her daughter, I think her point was made, loud and clear: Rethink your pick-up policy. No one should have to wait an hour after school to pick up their kids.
Do you think that Jaime Johnson overreacted? Should Deidre have been able to take her daughter home? And what about Deidre’s actions — were they over the top?
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Tags: car pool, education, funny, gas prices, horse, horseback, mom, parenting, school, weird
18 Comments
GP commented on Sep 07 09 at 12:19 pmThe mom definitely should have been allowed to take her daughter home. Parent’s rule over the school. That’s total BS. I like this woman’s moxie.
Oscar BullFrog commented on Sep 07 09 at 12:27 pmapparently the school doesn;t know the difference between the south end of a north-bound horse and the principal’s reflection in a mirror. deidre is patently more qualified to handle her pet than that grasping principal is to recognize talent, maturity or wisdom.
Pam Sweeney commented on Sep 07 09 at 12:37 pmIsn’t she also being green? I know if I was a kid I would have loved riding home on a horse. Who the heck does that principal think he, she is? It is ok to drop the kid at home alone but the mom can’t take the kid on a horseback ride what is wrong with that picture. she should be calling the state on the school for child endangerment.
Ri-chan commented on Sep 07 09 at 12:42 pmUmmm… I don’t think the school is allowed to do that. As long as the parent is there I’m pretty sure they have to release the child, no matter the mode of transportation. And I also think it is illeagle to discriminate against someone due to their mode of transportation. I live in the country and some people actually got picked up by horses if it was a nice day for riding while I was in school.
AS commented on Sep 07 09 at 1:01 pmThe school officials are idiots and should be sued. In this country of ours a Horse is a viable mode of transportation and if the parent wants to ride that kind of transportation then the schools have no ground to hold the kid. would they object if the mother drove up on a motorcycle?? And they are the educators.
T commented on Sep 07 09 at 1:26 pmI lived not far from this side of town and it is not uncommon to see people riding the shoulder of roads on horseback. I think its insane that the principal would not release the child. Had that been my child, I’m afraid the principal would have been laid out. No one dare try to keep my child from me. And considering there was a horse for her daughter, apparently the child has been riding before - probably daily and I’m sure at least a few days a week. Why would horseback be a bad thing? I would think the small children walking home alone and the ones riding bikes home alone would be in more danger than a child riding her horse home with her own mother? BTW, did the person who drove the child home have permission from the parent to take the child off of school property? That seems extremely strange to me.
mthemom commented on Sep 07 09 at 2:49 pmMe and my Mother used to pick up my sister all the time on horseback from grade school. We lived on a farm about a mile from the school and whenever it was nice we would pick her up so she didn’t have to take the bus. It was never a problem, although this was 20 years ago, and we lived in a small town. I am 5 years older than my sister, and I never had a problem ponying her horse and picking her up by myself. Her friends would always get pony rides as well. No one ever got hurt, and the teachers seemed to enjoy it. As far as I know, we were the only ones to do that, I never saw anyone else riding to/from school. I applaud this mother and it is ridiculous that her daughter was not released to her, she would have always remembered this occasion, and now it will be negative memory. How sad.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Sep 07 09 at 2:50 pmI have this whole scene in my head where she gallops up on her horse, jumping over parked cars and parents alike, rides up to the principal, snatches up her daughter and plops her onto the saddle in front of her, and gallops off, only pausing to turn around, lasso the principal’s feet and knock him into a cow paddy (yeah, I know, how did that get there?) and ride off into the sunset, raising her hat to the cheering crowd.
Marj commented on Sep 07 09 at 4:31 pmAs long as it is legal to ride a horse in town, in her town, I don’t think they had any right to refuse to release her child to her. A horse is a viable form of transportation for people who are trained to use it as such.
pqbon commented on Sep 07 09 at 10:51 pmI suspect that the mom could pursue kidnapping charges against the school. School officials are only allowed to interfere with custody of children in extreme situations.
Lula commented on Sep 08 09 at 12:35 amShe should have made like Xena and chucked something round & sharp at the principal while making the brave-heart cry in her throat. That would have been really cool, esp. if you’re 8 years old and it’s your mom on that horse.
Enzo commented on Sep 08 09 at 1:56 amI wish she was MY mom. I cannot believe there is any law supporting the P’s actions, and I think this should be followed up.
PlumbLucky commented on Sep 08 09 at 7:50 amThat is a great visual M_S, I love it! Um, I think that the school should face some sort of disciplinary action for custodial interference, and they should revisit their pick up policy. An hour to two and a half hours? WTfork are they DOING?
jaders commented on Sep 08 09 at 9:06 amKudos to this Mom for caring enough to make this point. I am not familiar with American laws but I am sure the school did not have any right to hold her child in this situation. If I were her, I would definitely hire a lawyer and look into this. She should also find out if the school acted legally when they let the child go home alone… not a smart move on their part. Go Deidre Go, you are one gutsy lady and I tip my (cowgirl) hat to you! (jaders from Canada)
Edye commented on Sep 08 09 at 7:54 pmComments Of course the principal was waayyy out of line, and I’m totally behind the mom (& not just because I’m a horse lover). What a ridiculous & absurd policy that school has..pick up one child at a time, each one escorted?!! What is this country coming to, with it’s overprotective hysteria over it’s kids. But what I don’t see in the above notes, is anyone getting upset over the POLICE!! That they took the side of the school, took the child from the mother & left her alone at her house is beyond outrageous. So both the school AND the police overreacted and overstepped their authority, trampling on this woman’s rights. A bit scary, really.
Alison commented on Sep 09 09 at 3:49 amDid the principal overreact? Does a bear s*** in the woods?
maeby commented on Sep 09 09 at 9:33 amhow do they know shes not amish? maybe thats all the transportation she has.
Brenda commented on Sep 27 09 at 8:18 pmWould an Amish family driving a horse, and carriage been refused their daughter? I think not! Therefore, this was a case of discrimination.
