Mom Arrested For Egging On Schoolyard Fight Caught on Tape Speaks Out
EmailThe Long Island woman arrested on charges she encouraged two 12-year-old girls, one of them her own daughter, to fight outside a local school is speaking out, saying she allowed the fight to protect her daughter.
“Nobody is doing anything, and they keep doing these hurtful, hurtful things,” the woman, 32-year-old Daphne Melin, told New York’s ABC 7 of the cyber bulling she claims was inflicted on her daughter. “They harass her in school.”
The fight started on Facebook, where Melin claims her daughter was harassed and threatened by up to 10 young girls, and then played out the old-fashioned way, on a schoolyard near William Floyd Elementary School in Shirley, N.Y., the afternoon of Sept. 11.
Melin insists that neither the school nor the police were willing to get involved to protect her daughter from the cyber bullying, so she brought her daughter to the schoolyard to confront the girls.
Suffolk County police say Melin shouted encouragement to one of the girls as the fight was taking place, and made no effort to stop the fight.
A crowd of kids, drawn by a posting on Facebook, also attended the fight, and caught the whole thing on tape.
When one bystander called for Melin to intervene, she instead cursed and spit at the child, before then kneeing her in the neck and head twice, according to authorities.
When the video of the fight surfaced, again on Facebook, Melin was charged with attempted assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Melin now admits she was wrong.
“You know, it’s just horrible,” Melin said. “I don’t encourage fighting, it’s not the right thing to do.”
None of the young girls involved were seriously hurt in the fight.
“I would never attack a 12-year-old, 13-year-old, I would never do that, I have no idea who that was, my back was turned,” Melin said.
In a statement, the school district said, “We were informed that the fight may have resulted from postings on Facebook among a group of teenage girls who are also students in our district. We have no further comment as it is now a police matter.”
Melin was released on bail and will be arraigned Dec. 1, police said. She could face up to one year in state prison.
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Bullies need a good old fashion ass whipping. If the kid isn’t big enough, bite ‘em literally. Most bullies will think twice next time even if you get your ass beat. Most people don’t want to experience potential physical pain even bullies. Bullies are spineless and mindless to begin with. They don’t have a real cause to fight for anyway.
Posted by: theoneandonlyjonasv | September 14, 2011, 9:24 am 9:24 am
Why did she allow her 12 y.o to have FB anyway? I know ADULTS who aren’t mature enough to have a FB acct. The kids need their butts torn up BY THEIR PARENTS for being snot nosed little bullies who hide behind their computer screens. You want to talk big? Come talk big to someone’s face instead of “chatting” it to them. These hot house flower babies wouldn’t stand a chance in our backwoods souther schools where the opening day of deer season is a reason to let kids out of school.
Posted by: Jen | September 14, 2011, 10:00 am 10:00 am
*southern*
Posted by: Jen | September 14, 2011, 10:01 am 10:01 am
As someone who has been bullied online myself, I greatly sympathize with the woman who could not get any assistance from school authorities or the police. I would like to see the parents of the bullies brought to task for the behavior of their children. If the mother who has been charged actually did assault one of the children instead of simply defending herself, then that should be handled appropriately. Hopefully, the prosecutor will be willing to give the mother some credit for approaching proper authorities before deciding to let her daughter confront her bullies old school style.
The best thing that could happen next here is for all of the involved adults to get together with the authorities and work out a compromise that doesn’t involve a heap of unnecessary government resources and expensive blood sucking attorneys. Apologies could be extended, community service could be meted out, psychological counseling could be ordered. There are a lot of things a leader could do to maximize the important aspect of this story which is quite simply show everyone respect and even better, show everyone more than respect by being positive and encouraging.
Posted by: Cyberbullied2 | September 14, 2011, 10:39 am 10:39 am
If she can prove the police and school were notified of the bullying and did nothing to investigate it then she has one heck of a lawsuit she can make. She was very wrong for taking matters into her own hand. Would of been better off to document the bullying and after police and school refused to do anything about it take the case to the local news and they would more then likely pounce on a story like this and/or get answers. Either that or of got a lawyer to file suit after reviewing the documentation.
Posted by: Donald Everson | September 14, 2011, 11:21 am 11:21 am
The responsible thing to do is never allow her 12 year old to have an online account, facebook or other. Parents today are dumb.
Posted by: Notbuyingit | September 14, 2011, 11:31 am 11:31 am
Yea, she doesn’t encourage fighting…except when she does.
Posted by: Thomas | September 14, 2011, 11:38 am 11:38 am
I don’t condone violence, but as a teenager in high school, I was actually SPIT ON by someone. They spit on my back while my they came up behind me.
I lost it. I wailed on one of the spitters mercilessly.
I was never bullied again.
Posted by: Caracticus | September 14, 2011, 3:43 pm 3:43 pm
When you are a victim of a bully, and the constant attacks. It could be verbal, physical, mental or just plain evil. This affects the victim in more ways than can be explained.. I know, my 6yr daughter suffered this evil action. I say first hand how this affects our innocent, kind, loving children. And when we try everything to make things bettter for them, and nothing works. What do you do?
Many times the school does not want to help. Or they are friends with the bullies parents.
I feel sorry for this mother. That was her way of helping her daughter cope with the situation. I’m not saying violence is o.k. But for her, it was. I’ve seen parents of bullies, and they themselves are bullies. I haven’t read any negitive comments for if they are posted and for those that judge her unfairly. Shame on you. And hope it never happens to someone you love!!!
Posted by: victoria | September 19, 2011, 3:02 pm 3:02 pm