New video shows the moment a Virginia mom threatened to bring loaded guns to school during a school board meeting Thursday, if her kids were forced to wear face masks.
The Page County Public School board held a meeting on “opposing viewpoints” concerning COVID-19 precautions on Thursday evening, after a doctor from the Valley Health system presented updates on the pandemic and the importance of wearing face masks.
Amelia King, a 42-year-old dental hygienist of Luray, Virginia, stepped up to the podium as the first guest speaker while not wearing a mask. For the first two minutes, she ranted about the three minute time limit that guests are given on the mic, the report read.
“We need to think as a collective county… There’s a lot of science. There’s a lot of good science. You know, the mask protects the person that’s wearing it,” King says in the video.
But as a school board member in the room interrupts her to tell her that her 3 minutes are up, King spazzes.
“All right. No mask mandates,” King says. “My children will not come to school Monday with a mask on. All right. That’s not happening. And I will bring every single gun loaded and ready,” she threatened before getting interrupted again by the board member.
“I’ll see y’all on Monday,” she added before leaving the podium.
On Friday afternoon, local police said they spoken to King and the school district said they would be increasing police patrols around schools on Monday.
Luray Police said the mother called police to apologize but the Page County Sheriff’s Office and the local district attorney’s office were nevertheless investigating.
“The statement that was made absolutely caused public alarm, the parent that made the statement realized that, and immediately contacted law enforcement to apologize because the statement was not intended the way it was perceived,” the statement read.
“We have been in contact with the parent who made the statement, she is cooperating with law enforcement. This incident is still under investigation and no arrests have been made at this time.”
In a joint statement released Friday, Page County superintendent Antonia Fox and School Board Chair Megan Gordon said the district did not take King’s comments “lightly”.
“Violence and threats are never acceptable or appropriate. This kind of behavior is not tolerated from our students, faculty, staff, nor will it be tolerated from parents or guests of our school division,” the statement said.
“PCPS is addressing this issue and is in communication with local law enforcement. There will be an increased police presence with support from the Page County Sheriff’s Office. The Luray Police Department will also provide additional police presence at the Luray area schools on Monday.”
