It’s 2:00PM on a Thursday, and the children at South Cumberland Elementary school in Crossville, Tennessee have been dismissed for the day. A father arrives on time to pick up his kids, but he is arrested. The school’s new policy only allows students to be picked up at 2:00PM if their parents are picking them up in cars, you have to wait until 2:35PM if you’re walking.
Jim Howe and his fiancée, Amanda Long, bothered by the long line in traffic of other parents, decided to pick up their two children at the school at 2:00PM by walking.
“You don’t need a reason as a parent to go get your children,” Howe told the school officials.
But Avery Aytes, a sheriff deputy and school resource officer, disagreed – preventing Howes from leaving the school with his kids. As seen in the video below, Long captured the whole interaction between her husband and Aytes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8r-bdcvx8E
In the video, Howe doesn’t raise his voice and appears to be engaging in a civil discussion about picking up his kids. When Howes brought up how the new policy was illegal, Aytes threatened him with jail time.
“I’m going to call some help down here and we’re going to take you up to the jail right now,” said Aytes to Howes.
“I’m not putting up with this today. You’re being childish and it’s uncalled for.”
The discussion continued until Howe mentioned that the state law was on his side; Aytes decided to arrest Howes for disorderly conduct.
“I’m not standing here arguing with you, you’re disorderly,” Aytes added.
The school had no words for the press, but the sheriff’s office did. They told an ABC local news channel that Aytes acted responsibly.
“The resource officers are there to enforce the law,” said Cumberland County Sheriff Butch Burgess in a statement.
Despite the commotion, Burgess did agree with Howes about inefficient pick up system, and that it was causing disorder. The cars are back up so far that they’re seeping into the highway, causing safety concerns.
Currently, there’s a fundraiser for Howe’s legal expenses; the family’s goal is to raise $10,000.
(Pictures via YouTube)