Treasure Coast Mom says Parent Threatened Her

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Treasure Coast Mom says Parent Threatened Her

Posted: May 6, 2009 05:29 PM CDT

By Al Pefley

Port St. Lucie, FL (WFLX)

New developments surrounding the mother of a Treasure Coast autistic boy, who

was voted out of his kindergarten class by his classmates last spring.

Barton, mother of six year old Barton, says she was threatened by

an angry parent at school last week.

" She said that when I got to the parking lot she was going to beat my a**, "

Barton explained.

Barton, who's six months pregnant, says when a woman came up to her at

Morningside Elementary last Friday in the cafeteria and made that threat she was

stunned.

" I was in shock. I really didn't know how to respond to a person of this

mentality, " Barton said.

Barton was at the school for an honor roll assembly for one of her children.

And the woman was clearly angry.

" She said I want to make this real discreet. She told me she had been following

me. Obviously I was shocked and upset, " Barton said.

Barton has become widely known in south Florida, after the incident at

school involving her six year old son last year.

's teacher, Portillo, humiliated by having him stand in front of

the kindergarten class while the other kids told him what they didn't like about

his behavior, and then they voted him out of their classroom.

Portillo later got a one-year suspension. says that parent who

threatened her Friday is a friend of Portillo's, and should've been arrested for

her actions.

" I've never been physically threatened like this and being that I'm pregnant I

would think you'd have enough sensitivity to leave well enough alone, " Barton

said.

She says she can't believe the school resource officer who was at Morningside

Elementary Friday let the woman leave without arresting her.

" You don't have the right to threaten somebody. You don't have the right to

follow somebody or stalk somebody, Barton said.

Police tell us they handled the incident correctly.

" The officer did do an investigation and there was no merit to it. The

witnesses did not hear any threat, " said Tom Nichols, Port St. Lucie Police

spokesman.

Police say without a witness to verify that there was a threat, the matter comes

down to a case of " he said, she said " and it's merely one woman's word against

another, and they need more than that to make an arrest.

Barton, though, says she feels so scared she may seek a restraining order

against the parent.

[Guest guest]

How things are handled in regards to stalking and such threats seems to be

completely arbitrary at times: my brother in Utah had something remotely similar

happen to him as he was going home late at night, and the police there gave a

very similar type of answer in regards to his complaint. On the other hand, I

suppose if someone could just say " so-and-so stalked and threatened me! " without

any other witnesses or evidence, all kinds of problems would creep up in

practice, as inevitably there will be liars around to take advantage of any

system to be trouble makers.

>

> http://www.wflxfox29.com/Global/story.asp?S=10316783 & nav=menu98_2

>

> Treasure Coast Mom says Parent Threatened Her

>

> Posted: May 6, 2009 05:29 PM CDT

>

> By Al Pefley

>

> Port St. Lucie, FL (WFLX)

>

> New developments surrounding the mother of a Treasure Coast autistic boy, who

was voted out of his kindergarten class by his classmates last spring.

>

> Barton, mother of six year old Barton, says she was threatened

by an angry parent at school last week.

>

> " She said that when I got to the parking lot she was going to beat my a**, "

Barton explained.

>

> Barton, who's six months pregnant, says when a woman came up to her at

Morningside Elementary last Friday in the cafeteria and made that threat she was

stunned.

>

> " I was in shock. I really didn't know how to respond to a person of this

mentality, " Barton said.

>

> Barton was at the school for an honor roll assembly for one of her children.

And the woman was clearly angry.

>

> " She said I want to make this real discreet. She told me she had been

following me. Obviously I was shocked and upset, " Barton said.

>

> Barton has become widely known in south Florida, after the incident at

school involving her six year old son last year.

>

> 's teacher, Portillo, humiliated by having him stand in front

of the kindergarten class while the other kids told him what they didn't like

about his behavior, and then they voted him out of their classroom.

>

> Portillo later got a one-year suspension. says that parent who

threatened her Friday is a friend of Portillo's, and should've been arrested for

her actions.

>

> " I've never been physically threatened like this and being that I'm pregnant I

would think you'd have enough sensitivity to leave well enough alone, " Barton

said.

>

> She says she can't believe the school resource officer who was at Morningside

Elementary Friday let the woman leave without arresting her.

>

> " You don't have the right to threaten somebody. You don't have the right to

follow somebody or stalk somebody, Barton said.

>

> Police tell us they handled the incident correctly.

>

> " The officer did do an investigation and there was no merit to it. The

witnesses did not hear any threat, " said Tom Nichols, Port St. Lucie Police

spokesman.

>

> Police say without a witness to verify that there was a threat, the matter

comes down to a case of " he said, she said " and it's merely one woman's word

against another, and they need more than that to make an arrest.

>

> Barton, though, says she feels so scared she may seek a restraining order

against the parent.

>