Mom Arrested, Shackled Over Son's Unexcused School Absences

insider.foxnews.com ^ | May 21, 2015

[ilovesarah2012]

A Georgia mother and substitute teacher says she was arrested and placed in shackles because of her son's unexcused absences.

Julie Giles reportedly wrote on Facebook that a warrant had been issued for her arrest after her son tallied 12 unexcused absences from school.

The total is six more than the Screven County school district allows. Giles argued that her son's doctor re-issued a note for three of the absences, meaning she would be arrested over a total of three absences.

Giles said she was briefly placed in ankle shackles, with police saying it was normal procedure. She was released and given a court date in July, but faces jail time.

Giles said her son is an A and B student, but often misses school because of illness. Due to higher copays than she can afford, she said sometimes she must keep her children home without being able to get a doctor's note.

WTOC-TV reported:

Screven County Schools Superintendent, William Bland, says this is not unusual, that they are following the law, and that "several" parents have already been convicted in these situations this school year, after not being able to work out a solution with school officials.

[Mrs. P]

Last I heard, home schooling was legal in all 57 states. Might be something for this mom to consider when she gets out of jail.

[AppyPappy]

“Giles said her son is an A and B student, but often misses school because of illness. “

Illness? We call that “meth” around here.

[Old Sarge]

“Following the law”?

They considered the mom a flight risk?

Or as a substitute teacher, she didn’t pay union dues....

[Popman]

Not sure what her kid "illnesses" were, but my wife and I raised six children...

All of them at some point pleaded "illness" to miss school...

My standard response was "you're breathing and still warm, so you must not be dead"

The only excuse for missing school is you are dead...

Of course any fever above 101 would qualify...which was a few times a year...

My guess is junior has Mom wrapped around their finger...

My suggestion, kick your kids butt or homeschool

[headsonpikes]

“Giles said she was briefly placed in ankle shackles, with police saying it was normal procedure”

“Screven County Schools Superintendent, William Bland, says this is not unusual, that they are following the law, and that “several” parents have already been convicted in these situations this school year, after not being able to work out a solution with school officials.”

America.

Is that still a thing?

[fatnotlazy]

Shackled?

OK I understand we have some overzealous law enforcement, but I’m wondering if there is more to this story. People aren’t shackled because their kid missed too much school.

[cincinnati65]

The driver is that federal dollars for public schools are based on daily attendance. No attendance, no money. So the local school is using the local police to enforce compulsory attendance so they can keep their government check coming in. Nice.

[nathanbedford]

I think the important question to ask here, more important than the actual facts of the child's alleged illness or the mother's plight in restraints is what kind of procedural due process was in place here?

In other words, are parents arrested and shackled on the simple report of a school administrator? Do the police exercise no independent investigation? Why is it necessary to commence proceedings with an arrest? Why not a summons to a hearing? What purpose does commencing with an arrest instead of a summons to a hearing serve other than intimidation? Does the local prosecutor play no role at this point? Why not?

What recourse does the parent have if the school administrator acts maliciously, foolishly, or negligently? Suppose a parent is arrested on a Friday must they spend the weekend in jail on the word of the school administrator before she get a hearing?

We are careening toward a bureaucratic tyranny in this country and procedural due process becomes vitally import to protect our liberties from often insulated bureaucrats.

[wintertime]

Behind every government K-12 school teacher stands an armed policeman with real bullets in those guns on the hip.

For years now the government school defenders get very upset with me when I have posted the fact that government schooling is **police and court** enforced schooling.

[taxcontrol]

Growing up I would often get respiratory illnesses (pneumonia, bronchitis, etc) that would have me out of school for 20 to 30 days. Sometimes would require hospital stays. I always had a doctor's note and my sibling would transport my school work for me. Always made it up and maintained As and Bs

It seems the failure here is from the parent not keeping the school informed more than anything else.

[Repeal The 17th]

What do you think is the motivation behind the school system?
Do you think it is their concern for the child’s education?
No, it is because of the federal $$$ tied to school attendance.
The school system believes the mother is robbing them of funding.
It’s all about the money.

[ilovesarah2012]

She was on Fox & Friends. Not meth.

[ilovesarah2012]

Her FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/julie.s.giles.5?fref=ts

[AppyPappy]

I know a kid like this and it is lack of parenting. They don’t want to contrary him. They honestly don’t know or care where he is much of the time. If the kid doesn’t want to go and the parent is more worried about drugs or alcohol, it just isn’t going to happen.
Jail is actually a good motivator because they can’t get access to drugs/cigs/alcohol in jail and they know it.
It wouldn’t surprise me if there were different rules for different socio-economic situations. Note: Time spend in Juvenile detention is not considered truant.

[MaxMax]

after not being able to work out a solution with school officials.

It seems that school administrators now have arresting authority over commoners
much like district attorneys. Or this is just a bad kid and a bad parent. /Shrug

[wintertime]

I agree with every word you wrote, but there is something even more fundamental underlying this incident.

The important questions to ask here are, “Why do we have compulsory education laws? What about the First Amendment right to free assembly?”

This kid is likely a disruptor in the class. He doesn't want to be there.

The government is violating his ( and his mother's ) First Amendment Right to free assembly by forcing him into a prison-like environment. The government is also trashing the First Amendment Rights of the other children who are forced into assembly with a kid who doesn't want to be there as is likely making their lives miserable.

[fatnotlazy]

When I was a kid, the school district had a truant officer. He was tough. If your child was missing school chronically for no good reason, this guy could have your child taken away. I know because one of my classmates spent some time in a foster home after the truant officer had her taken away for too many unexcused absences. Her parents had to go to court to get her back.

Ok, our schools have become indoctrination centers and don't teach what kids need to know to function in life. But one of a parent's responsibilities is to make sure their children get an education. If you don't like public schools, find an alternative. Otherwise, make sure your child goes to school.

[wintertime]

When the Constitution and Bill of Rights are trashed we have outrageous incidents like this.

Even if the government's response were more moderate with polite requests, followed by a summons, and properly supervised action by the district attorney, ...the very expensive, time consuming, and gut wrenching experience of the legal system is a punishment by itself, even if there is no conviction.

[WalterSkinner]

..yep, it is follow the money. In my wife’s school district the attendance people will call and harass parents about absences—but if there is suspected abuse of any sort, CPS and the schools will look for reasons not to do anything as long as the little kid is sitting in that chair—and the money comes in...