Mom Faces Jail for Making Son Walk to School

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 3:52 am

An Arkansas mother is being charged with a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a minor after she made her son walk 4.6 miles to school in order to "teach him a lesson."

Valerie Borders, 34, told police her 10-year-old son had been suspended from the bus for a week and she was making him walk to school as punishment.

A bank security guard spotted the boy walking alone in 30-degree weather on Monday and called police.

When the boy spoke to the responding officer, he told him: "Please don't take me home. Mother will beat me," the police report said.

The officer took the boy to his mother's workplace, only to be told she was on vacation. They found her at home, where she was cited for child endangerment.

"There were a number of things that could have happened to the child," said Lyle Waterworth, a spokesman for the Jonesboro Police Department. "The child could have been injured, abducted."

ABC News affiliate KAIT spoke with the boy, who made an impassioned plea on camera to keep his mother out of jail.

The boy's mother did not speak on camera.

If convicted, she faces up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000.

Mom Faces Jail for Making Son Walk to School | ABC News - Yahoo! News

I used to walk about a mile and a half to school, although it never got that cold. Have things changed so much that a person seeing a kid walking alone on their way to school calls the cops about it?

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 4:36 am

That's a pretty long walk. I think that the rule of thumb here is about a mile. Less than that and no bus service.

That would have been awesome if the mom had been puttering along in her car following her son.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:04 am

SnoozeAgain;1384997 wrote: I used to walk about a mile and a half to school, although it never got that cold. Have things changed so much that a person seeing a kid walking alone on their way to school calls the cops about it?

It would have taken the child roughly 1 and 1/2 hours to get to school "in 30-degree weather"(Perhaps longer considering the weather as well as the calculation considering a straight line)...

Anyone seeing a child walking with a backpack, in Arkansas especially, being 4.6 miles from school "in 30-degree weather" is obligated to stop and give the boy a ride or at the very least call the police

Does anyone think the benefit far outweighs the risk in this situation?

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:06 am

Accountable;1385001 wrote: That would have been awesome if the mom had been puttering along in her car following her son.Do you think it would have added insult to injury if she permitted him to stop and have a quick cup of hot chocolate every other 5,000 feet?

Post by **spot** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:35 am

K.Snyder;1385008 wrote: Anyone seeing a child walking with a backpack, in Arkansas especially, being 4.6 miles from school "in 30-degree weather" is obligated to stop and give the boy a rideI'd have thought that would qualify as kidnap, given he's ten years old and incapable of informed consent. How's he meant to decide whether you're friend or foe?

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:27 am

I'm thinking mom wasn't on vacation from being a rocket scientist.

Post by **LarsMac** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:30 am

I used to walk home from school (about 4 miles) when I screwed around and missed the bus. But I lived in South Florida.

I think making a kid walk to school that far away in winter weather does border on abuse, though jail seems a bit extreme.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:29 am

spot;1385012 wrote: I'd have thought that would qualify as kidnap, given he's ten years old and incapable of informed consent. I suppose if I myself had offered it would relieve my conscience so I'd suggest if anyone had kidnapping in mind to not stop. In fact, I respectfully encourage all with such a predisposition to never stop and give anyone a ride.

spot;1385012 wrote: How's he meant to decide whether you're friend or foe?I'd personally offer him a candy bar to ease his suspicion.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:31 am

K.Snyder;1385028 wrote: I suppose if I myself had offered it would relieve my conscience so I'd suggest if anyone had kidnapping in mind to not stop. In fact, I respectfully encourage all with such a predisposition to never stop and give anyone a ride.

I'd personally offer him a candy bar to ease his suspicion.

Isn't that the same thing a kidnapper would offer?

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:32 am

YZGI;1385029 wrote: Isn't that the same thing a kidnapper would offer?Perhaps, but I'm not a kidnapper.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:34 am

K.Snyder;1385030 wrote: Perhaps, but I'm not a kidnapper.

Then I'll have a snickers.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:46 am

YZGI;1385031 wrote: Then I'll have a snickers.All I have is half of a Whatchamacallit

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:02 am

I used to make my son empty his locker into a great big hefty bag and drag it home every day for a semester, after a semester of being told he had no homework and his resulting grades..

Only 8 blocks from the school though.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:45 am

I think the thread, so far, can be best summarized into suggesting that "no parent would ever force their child to hoof 4.6 miles in 30 degree weather"...

How we gonn deal 'tis vigilant-uh?

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 2:43 pm

I wasn't commenting on the distance and temperature so much as the fact that someone called the cops. Unless they talked to the kid, how do they know where he was walking, he could have just been going to a friend's house for a ride from there.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 3:41 pm

When the boy spoke to the responding officer, he told him: "Please don't take me home. Mother will beat me," the police report said.

Someone spoke to this kid & I think the beating comment didn't help mom's case! There have been so many high profile sexual abduction type cases involving kids recently, that's the first danger that came to my mind. Also, what kind of road was he walking? a rural road with fast moving trucks making local deliveries? This kid was put in potential jeopardy while mom sat home. Hillbilly.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 3:58 pm

K.Snyder;1385028 wrote: I suppose if I myself had offered it would relieve my conscience so I'd suggest if anyone had kidnapping in mind to not stop. In fact, I respectfully encourage all with such a predisposition to never stop and give anyone a ride.

I'd personally offer him a candy bar to ease his suspicion.

Is this Bruv type humour ? (and I understand it)

I can understand the mothers punishment, sounds like the wisdom of Solomon, he gets banned so he walks, but a little too far and a little too cold to be the answer.

Bet he doesn't get suspended again though.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 4:07 pm

AnneBoleyn;1385056 wrote: Someone spoke to this kid & I think the beating comment didn't help mom's case! There have been so many high profile sexual abduction type cases involving kids recently, that's the first danger that came to my mind. Also, what kind of road was he walking? a rural road with fast moving trucks making local deliveries? This kid was put in potential jeopardy while mom sat home. Hillbilly.

Yeah, the cop spoke to the kid. The cop that was apparently called by someone that had no knowledge where the kid was actually walking to. No one finds this strange, huh? I think this is right up there with people that call 911 if their BK burger comes with pickles that they didn't order. In this case, the mother was in the wrong but I don't like a society that constantly rats each other out to big brother.

Scrat · Post by **Scrat** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:09 pm

Well Snooze we're there. People are right to be scared though, there's always some perv around it seems. As for this mom it was a case of bad judgement on her part, the kid needs to have a talking to also. I think the weather was tolerable but not a good situation for a 10 year old to be in.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:06 am

SnoozeAgain;1385058 wrote:

The cop that was apparently called by someone that had no knowledge where the kid was actually walking to.

Perhaps the person passed the kid, did their business and then passed the kid on their way back some time later.

It is nice to know some people care.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:42 am

SnoozeAgain;1385058 wrote: Yeah, the cop spoke to the kid. The cop that was apparently called by someone that had no knowledge where the kid was actually walking to. No one finds this strange, huh? I think this is right up there with people that call 911 if their BK burger comes with pickles that they didn't order. In this case, the mother was in the wrong but I don't like a society that constantly rats each other out to big brother.Why would you see it as ratting on anyone? Where was the child walking exactly? There are many, many rural areas that have long roads that is enough to call and assist this child let alone the mere possibility a 10 year old child ever contemplating going against his mothers wishes after being forced to walk "in 30 degree weather".

Besides that what if this child developed frost bite on his toes and we were reading an article "Child forced to walk to school by mother, feet amputated"?

I called the police just two weeks ago after finding some strange person in my yard "in 30 degree weather". I later started to feel a bit bad thinking that he only wanted to sleep in our playhouse swing set. I've since found out there has been 5 break ins in my neighborhood in the past 4 weeks...One attempt happened to be the house of our friends whose daughter was home at the time, thank god she wasn't asleep and the noise she made deterred them...

Post by **spot** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:03 am

By "30 degree weather" I take it you Americans mean something approaching icy - a Fahrenheit temperature with a 3 at the front. Or do you mean actually 2 degrees of frost? I'm having trouble with what you understand by the term.

From the age of six I was making unaccompanied hour-long trips to school each way through snow, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:25 am

It'd be about -1 Celsius.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:28 am

K.Snyder;1385097 wrote: Why would you see it as ratting on anyone? Where was the child walking exactly? There are many, many rural areas that have long roads that is enough to call and assist this child let alone the mere possibility a 10 year old child ever contemplating going against his mothers wishes after being forced to walk "in 30 degree weather".

Besides that what if this child developed frost bite on his toes and we were reading an article "Child forced to walk to school by mother, feet amputated"?

I called the police just two weeks ago after finding some strange person in my yard "in 30 degree weather". I later started to feel a bit bad thinking that he only wanted to sleep in our playhouse swing set. I've since found out there has been 5 break ins in my neighborhood in the past 4 weeks...One attempt happened to be the house of our friends whose daughter was home at the time, thank god she wasn't asleep and the noise she made deterred them...

If you don't see a difference between a grown, indigent man trespassing on your property and a 10 year old kid walking along a public road in broad daylight, then I doubt I could explain it to you.

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Mon Feb 20, 2012 1:41 pm

Hold on!!! I just did the conversion and it's -1 cel. I used to walk further than that in that kind of temp to and from school from grade four upwards. (that's 10 or 11 years old) . The only clothing protection was tights because we weren't allowed to wear pants, winds a blowing and turning the umbrella inside out ............ Sheesh get some balls

during my whole schooling years I was only flashed at twice and asked to enter a car once.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:18 am

SnoozeAgain;1385106 wrote: If you don't see a difference between a grown, indigent man trespassing on your property and a 10 year old kid walking along a public road in broad daylight, then I doubt I could explain it to you.
Seven hundred people experiencing or at risk of homelessness are killed from hypothermia annually in the United States. Forty-four percent of the nation’s homeless are unsheltered. From the urban streets of our populated cities to the remote back-country of rural America, hypothermia - or subnormal temperature in the body - remains a leading, critical and preventable cause of injury and death among those experiencing homelessness. National Coalition for the Homeless

Nor I to you Snooze. The use of the word "indigent" speaks volumes as to why.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:21 am

spot;1385104 wrote: From the age of six I was making unaccompanied hour-long trips to school each way through snow, I don't see what all the fuss is about.I'm curious was that on a long stretch of open road or did you cut through alley's and have a sidewalk?

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:34 am

spot;1385104 wrote: By "30 degree weather" I take it you Americans mean something approaching icy - a Fahrenheit temperature with a 3 at the front. Or do you mean actually 2 degrees of frost? I'm having trouble with what you understand by the term.

From the age of six I was making unaccompanied hour-long trips to school each way through snow, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

I'm assuming it was uphill both ways.

Post by **spot** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:53 am

K.Snyder;1385407 wrote: I'm curious was that on a long stretch of open road or did you cut through alley's and have a sidewalk?It involved catching two and, a couple of years later, three buses each way, not a lot of walking but there were busy roads to get across with no pedestrian priority. The buses were slow underpowered unheated cross-country beasts, the routes hilly and the clean air act hadn't yet made pea-soup smog a thing of the past. I'm surprised I survived.

YZGI;1385408 wrote: I'm assuming it was uphill both ways.
Of course it was. In parts. You'll not have heard of the Pennines but it's no place for a growing lad once the sun goes down. As the Bard once remarked:'Twere getting dusk One winter's night

When up the clough There came in sight

A lad who carried through the snow

A banner with this 'ere motto:

'Uppards'.

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:15 pm

What about all that walking to and from school old Abe Lincoln did and the claims our elders made when they wanted to accuse younger people of laziness and how easy they have it?

Post by **spot** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:22 pm

Ahso!;1385423 wrote: What about all that walking to and from school old Abe Lincoln did
I don't think they'd invented traffic back then.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:30 pm

So K's trying to shame me for using the word indigent and HE'S the one that called the cops on the poor fellow. Hypocrite much?

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:49 pm

SnoozeAgain;1385428 wrote: So K's trying to shame me for using the word indigent and HE'S the one that called the cops on the poor fellow. Hypocrite much?He's only a "poor fellow" when you use the word "indigent" to describe him Snooze, which is your wording not mine. If I knew he was "indigent" I wouldn't have called the police. The point is that calling the police is the safest bet when not knowing the full story to a potentially unhealthy end, and the only way to have knowledge of something of the sort centimeters away from the OP is to stop and ask that kid where he's going.

If those managing to not hit the child stop and ask then the mother has managed to place her child in more risk and for what then? To teach the damn kid what she should have already taught them? Or is the overall safety of someone less important than an otherwise "courteous" appraisal given to those who stop and ask an adult if they needed a ride?

The mother's a hero then?

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 7:10 pm

Do you guys talk out loud the same way you write?

Just curious..

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 4:26 am

Pretty much.

Post by **spot** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 5:17 am

flopstock;1385443 wrote: Do you guys talk out loud the same way you write?

Just curious..

Yer durn tootin' lady.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 8:56 am

flopstock;1385443 wrote: Do you guys talk out loud the same way you write?

Just curious..

I reckon so.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:41 am

flopstock;1385443 wrote: Do you guys talk out loud the same way you write?

Just curious..If we could record our voices we'd not only have less conflict but we'd all manage to be friends.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 11:03 am

K.Snyder;1385468 wrote: If we could record our voices we'd not only have less conflict but we'd all manage to be friends.

With that nasally twang of yours ?

:wah:

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 11:34 am

Bruv;1385471 wrote: With that nasally twang of yours ?

:wah::wah: The ladies love it Bruv, don't forget that!

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 11:43 am

K.Snyder;1385476 wrote: :wah: The ladies love it Bruv, don't forget that!

I bet they would like my accent better in downtown Dayton.............don't ya know ?

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 11:58 am

Bruv;1385477 wrote: I bet they would like my accent better in downtown Dayton.............don't ya know ?You can have all of Downtown Dayton, Bruv, trust me on that one! :wah:

Actually I couldn't put that on my worst enemy. The sentiment perhaps can be better explained in this short video... Newcastle Fans Not For Kinnear | Channelbee - YouTube

Post by **spot** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 12:49 pm

K.Snyder;1385476 wrote: :wah: The ladies love it Bruv, don't forget that!

I always thought that was the moustache, not the accent.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 12:50 pm

Twas but an Ohio town's name plucked from a search engine........but I will stay away.

First news item on Dayton Daily News..... Registered sex offender teen rape....then....Kenton Ridge High school 'Locked down....again'....closely followed by Begging incidents up buy 400%......sounds like a fun place.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:00 pm

Nothing about Ohio is fun. Sorry Kev (I hope that is your Name!)

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 4:02 pm

AnneBoleyn;1385486 wrote: Nothing about Ohio is fun. Sorry Kev (I hope that is your Name!)

I have a daughter lives in Ohio........do you know her Kevin ?

mikeinie · Post by **mikeinie** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:32 am

seriously... have the police over there got nothing better to do??

Ahso! · Post by **Ahso!** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:36 am

mikeinie;1385559 wrote: seriously... have the police over there got nothing better to do??Part of the problem is with the public, for example, my neighbor calls the police when my dog barks for more than a minute or two and also if someone parks behind his vehicle which is in front of his house. It's seriously ridiculous.

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:49 pm

mikeinie;1385559 wrote: seriously... have the police over there got nothing better to do??

Thank you, that was my point completely.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:54 am

mikeinie;1385559 wrote: seriously... have the police over there got nothing better to do??I would have thought that if police have nothing better to do then we'd be ready to place the mother in prison.