My 12 year old daughter was visited by police today, what should I do?

[Mr Rogers]

I’d talk to an attorney. I’d also talk with the school & school board, and tell them I didn’t want my daughter talking to cops EVER without an attorney present. I’d also teach my daughter to refuse to talk to the police without an attorney.

A few sentences exchanged in public is OK, but the moment it looks like they have ANY interest in you, shut up. Nothing you say will help, and much can get you in trouble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8z7NC5sgik&feature=related

[secondamendmentkid]

“Part of me wants to freep the police office with a placard “Jack Booted Thugs Harass Children!”

I don’t believe publicly elevating the mess would be beneficial to your child. I’m relatively sure she just wants the whole thing to go away and be forgotten. In my opinion your best route is to privately take this up with school authorities and law enforcement to determine the status of the investigation and an explanation of the reasoning behind the approach as well as expressing your consternation about the way it was handled.

[Sybeck1]

Thanks for everyone concern.

The update on this is that my wife sent a strongly worded email to the school superintendent Thursday night, who in turn talked to my daughters principal. The word on the street is that the sup and the principal eat dinner at each other homes often.

The principal brought my daughter Friday to advise her he considers it settled that she didn't send the letter, again without our presence.

My wife went to the police office Friday afternoon, and they could not produce a incident report. It seems a town of 22K can't account for the whereabouts of 5 officers on a peaceful fall afternoon.

The crux of this is my wife can not go to the media or easily amp this up because she is on the payroll of the school district.

[r9etb]

The school never contacted us. The police officer told my daughter to be sure and tell her mother about it.

Utterly inexcusable. You need to go to the school board and superintendent. And take your lawyer, if necessary.

[Yorlik803]

Maybe it varies from state to state. I always thought a parent had to be there.
Next time, tell the kids, no talking to the police unless you have a lawyer there. No ifs and ,or buts.
Same goes for adults. The cops will tell you if you have nothing to hide, you dont need a mouthpiece.When they are questioning you, it is for a reason and they think you had something to do with whatever they are looking into. They may be shady cops looking to clear up their case load by hanging a crime on someone. If your alibi has the smallest of chinks in it, they have their suspect and into the pot you go.
When they have you in the room, they are not your friend.

[Tired of Taxes]

my wife can not go to the media or easily amp this up because she is on the payroll of the school district.

I knew a family who experienced the reverse of what you're experiencing: Like your family, one parent worked for the school. The child (around the same age as yours at the time) was assaulted by another student at school. The school did not want the police involved. The principal became angry at the parents when they called the police.

Bottom line: The parent, who was employed there, quit on the spot, and the child started homeschooling immediately.

I'm not suggesting your family do the same. It's just ironic how one school will call the police over a letter (that was so obviously a prank), but another school will refuse to call the police when an actual crime is committed.