Last week we reported on the shocking case of a Bay Area mom beaten to a pulp by her daughter’s bullies. And so, in the interests of balance, it’s only fair to serve a timely reminder.
Students aren’t the only ones to blame for the cultures of violence permeating our schools. Parents themselves can fail, sometimes spectacularly, in their duty to model appropriate behavior.
When North Carolina dad Barry Lee Jones went to cheer on his son last weekend in a high school wrestling tournament in Kannapolis, he probably didn’t expect personally to break into a sweat.
Someone should have warned the 54-year-old that the cauldron of combat sport is a heated one at all levels – perhaps especially when the weight of parental responsibility is thrown into the mix.
Jones allegedly made the transition from proud spectator to raging participant at the inter-school contest when his son’s 17-year-old opponent performed an illegal bodyslam, news station WGHP reports.
The referee correctly used a hand signal to call the foul move, but an unsatisfied Jones decreed that a heavier form of justice was in order.
Remarkable video footage of the incident shows the moment Jones suddenly propelled his not inconsiderable bulk at lightning pace across the gymnasium floor, spurred to the abrupt athletic feat no doubt by the surge of righteous vengeance coursing through his veins.
As he reached his son’s sporting nemesis, Jones turned his full-grown frame into a blunt instrument, charging the boy to the ground and sparking chaos as other parents rushed to restrain him and break up the brawl.
A witness told news station WSOCTV: “At first, I thought maybe someone had gotten hurt or maybe he was going for the referee, but for him to attack the wrestler and start kicking the wrestler, I’ve never seen that.
Yes, parents get upset, but never have I seen anyone attack a referee, a parent, a coach.”
A school spokesperson also condemned Jones’s extraordinary actions as “far below our expectations.”
While it’s not clear which wrestler won the surprise three-way match in the end – we assume Jones based on video evidence – thankfully both students came through unscathed.
Jones was booked into Cabarrus County Jail on a $1,000 secured bond and charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct.
 | Kannapolis, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Location: | 22 miles northeast of Charlotte |
| Population: | 51,626 |
| Median Household Income: | $49,713 |
| Quirky Fact: | Kannapolis was founded by industrialist James William Cannon in 1906 as a base for his textile company, the Cannon Mills Corporation. It still has one of the largest and best-preserved mill villages in the South. |
Was that the first time he went to his son’s contest? What a nutter!