Midlothian Father Accuses Police and School Teachers of Mistreatment in Park
A Midlothian father, Broderick Russel, has accused police and school teachers of mistreatment during a trip to a park with his son. Russel claims that he had to start recording a video because he couldn’t believe what was happening on Wednesday when he took his three-year-old son to Kimmel Park in Midlothian. He says that he was immediately confronted by teachers from Irvin Elementary School who told him to leave because the entire park was reserved for a school function.
Russel called the city, and he was told that the school only had a pavilion reserved and not the nearby playground, which the police also confirmed on Thursday to CBS News Texas. However, teachers demanded he stop recording video and even called the police. Russel says he was made to feel like a bad guy even though he was well within his right to record a video and be there with his son. “I really couldn’t express the anger I felt inside,” he said.
The school’s principal sent a letter out to parents calling the situation a misunderstanding and that “an adult was upset with our teachers and chose to film the discussion between the teachers and himself regarding this issue and post it on social media. The teachers were uncomfortable with the filming due to the safety of students. They eventually had to resort to calling the police.”
Russel claimed that the principal’s letter was not an accurate description of what happened and that he is not satisfied with how it ended when the police determined the park and the playground were still open to the public. “No, I’m not satisfied at all about how this ended,” he said. “I felt like those teachers were out of bounds. I felt like the police officers were out of bounds.”
Russel said he is considering filing a lawsuit and complaints with the school district and the police department. The incident has sparked outrage in the local community, with many expressing their support for Russel and condemning the treatment he received at the hands of the teachers and police. It remains to be seen if any action will be taken against either the school or the police department.
