Christina and Christopher Gring insist that they were just trying to stop the bullying of their young son when they went onto the bus. They clearly made a mistake, particularly when they allegedly started screaming at terrified students and using profanities. However, they were then arrested for conduct that at one time would have resulted in a meeting with the principal and clear guidelines on staying away from the bus in the future.
They are charged with “unlawfully entering a school bus, threatening children and other misdemeanors.” Their son is a student at North Wales elementary school. They say that their son left the bus crying after being bullied. The children say that the two were cursing and threatening them.
However, the school released the following statements:
“In conducting a follow-up internal investigation of the incident, North Penn School District found no reports of bullying of the accused couple’s child. Under no circumstances does NPSD ever want a parent boarding a bus or taking matters into their own hands.”
I could not find the code on unlawful entry on a school bus. I would be interested on how it is defined.
We have previously discussed the criminalization of conduct in America. I am very disturbed by their conduct and, as a parent, I would be pretty ticked off. However, is an arrest necessary? Bus service for the family could be suspended or the parents could be asked to stay a certain number of feet from the bus if they want their child to continue on the service.
What do you think?
Oh, bullying, that ageless form of entertainment for some people, young and old. We now have a bully as role model elected in NJ, no? That said, and having taught students and dealt with many parents, it is indeed illegal to enter a school bus without permission and yell at the students on it. I am in favor of the other ageless form of reprisal as I was taught as a young girl. The advice my mother gave in regards to a bully was to find a moment to floor them. It helped to have three brothers who came along to school with me for a few days looking ver menacing. When my own daughter was being bullied by an out-of-control mean boy in third grade I gave her the same advice and she settled it for good. I do think however that some children don’t have the ability to fight bullies and my best advice is to sit down with school officials for as long as it takes to stop that bullying. At my current school this is costing tax payers a lot of money. There is one bully who is a psychopath and the parents don’t want him disciplined and nobody in charge dares to kick him out. The Superintendent had to hire a one-on-one aid to keep that boy under control.