Fort Bend ISD teacher jumps on car hood to stop mom from cutting carpool line
SUGAR LAND, Texas (KTRK) -- "Everyone just stopped and stood still as this teacher performed on top of the hood of my car."
Video of the performance on Rita Trimmer Ray's vehicle outside Dulles Elementary is sure to have people talking.
Rita says she was taking her daughter to school on Tuesday morning when she tried to take a shortcut.
"There were cones right there at Dulles Avenue, heading into the elementary school," Rita said. "We were late, it was STAAR testing, so I needed to get her there. I go around the first set of cones and there's a teacher. They said no, and I said, 'Please, allow me to turn.' He says no."
Rita says the Dulles Elementary teacher then approached her car.
"Then I decided to drive around him, and he jumped on the hood of the car," Rita said. "This was outrageous. This was a teacher, a professional person who's managing children, to jump on the hood of my car... it's a bit much."
Rita says she drove off slowly but the teacher still wouldn't get off the hood.
"And he screaming back at us, 'I'm on the car, I'm not getting off the car, you should not have come through..."
The teacher eventually stands up on the hood and jumps off.
"I said, 'you don't know who you're dealing with, I'm going to go to administration,'" Rita says. And she did just that.
The superintendent called and apologized, saying the behavior was unacceptable. The district says it is still investigating.
Fort Bend ISD released this statement about the incident to Eyewitness News:
"While it is important for all of our parents and visitors to follow proper traffic flow patterns to ensure the safety of all students, we do not condone employees using any physical means to stop a vehicle. There were several witnesses to the incident, and district administrators are reviewing the circumstances and will take appropriate action."
On Wednesday, the school district posted a safety reminder on their website:
"As we finish out the end of the year, it is important to remember the importance of pedestrian safety during drop-off and pick-up in the designated lots on campuses. These traffic flows are designed to protect our students, staff and visitors and it is important that drivers follow the designated routes.
A recent incident was reported in the media and it was a reminder to us all that maintaining safety on our campuses is the top priority. Please know that we remain committed to the safety of all students and staff. We would also like to clarify that incidents such as this are addressed at the campus and administrative levels, and are not handled at the superintendent level. As such, our superintendent has not spoken with anyone involved in this incident. We appreciate your continued support as we work to ensure the safety of all students, staff and visitors."
"Do you think you were wrong?" ABC13 reporter Chauncy Glover asked.
"Absolutely, I should've never gone around the cones. I asked the officer once we got to the school if you want to give me a ticket, go and give me a ticket for going around the cones, but the teacher never should've jumped on my car."
