A woman from Central Florida was detained after it was suspected that she had permitted her child to skip hundreds of days of school over the previous three years.
The Brevard County woman is currently charged with one count of being a parent who refuses to enforce school attendance, a second-degree misdemeanor that carries a potential jail sentence of sixty days if found guilty. She had her first court appearance on Thursday following her arrest.
According to court documents, the mother’s child, a student at Cocoa’s Fairglen Elementary, has missed 214 days of instruction over the previous three academic years. This includes 33 absences from the current school year in just ninety days. The child missed 102 days of school in 2021–2022 and 79 days in 2022–2023 due to unexcused absences.
Lawyer Geoff Golub, who has handled cases similar to this one, says in severe situations, parents might also be charged with child negligence.
“If they were purposely keeping the child from going, locking them in a room or not letting them out of the house, it could lead to child neglect,” Golub stated. “Parents with substance abuse issues or those neglecting their responsibilities could face more severe charges.”
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Golub mentioned a few potential defenses, like parents that genuinely try to make sure their kids go to school.
“If the child leaves home but doesn’t make it to school, it could be an issue, but at 10 years old, you’d expect better control,” he continued.
In order to combat chronic absenteeism, Florida law mandates that parents complete parenting programs or accompany their children to school. A parent who is mandated to send their child to school cannot be fired by their employer legally, and doing so could land them in jail.
