parents brawl – A fight over seats erupted during a kindergarten graduation at Queens of the Apostles School in Toledo, leaving none of the families able to watch the children cross the stage. Police arrested Jessica Anderson on felonious assault charges, and another person w
TOLEDO, Ohio — The children were downstairs rehearsing when the tone in the room changed.
At the Queens of the Apostles School kindergarten graduation ceremony, a disagreement over seating turned violent, and parents said they were left unable to watch their children cross the stage.
Police said one woman was arrested for assault and another person was hospitalized, requiring stitches to her head.
Craig Mays, a parent and a kindergarten teacher, told MISRYOUM that the trouble began when parents started grabbing their own chairs, trying to carve out space.
“It was another family who started to grab their their own chairs and kind of like make their own space and make their own seating. Which I really didn’t have a problem with but my kid’s mom, they were right in front of her and she couldn’t see,” Mays said.
Mays said he tried to keep things calm, but a woman behind him wouldn’t let the dispute end.
“The girl behind me she’s just talking just cussing talking crazy. Calling us weird and saying we need to mind our business,” Mays said.
Police identified the woman as Jessica Anderson. She is charged with felonious assault. Court records say Anderson grabbed someone by her hair, striking her head against a chair. The victim needed stitches.
Mays said the confrontation escalated into something larger.
“He and Anderson went back and forth, and that’s when her family jumped him,” Mays said.
Mays described the moment as sudden and chaotic. He said her whole family stood up in the front rows as the argument continued.
“… her whole family in the first two rows stood up – five guys, five girls – they just all stand up as I’m arguing with Jessica. I literally don’t remember anything, I just know was sucker punched,” Mays said.
He said once he was on the ground, the attack continued.
“Once I was taken it to the round, it was probably four or five other guys that were on top of me trampoline me punching me. You kick me in the head,” Mays said.
Mays said his child’s mother tried to help during the fight. Video, he said, shows Anderson allegedly grabbing the woman by her hair. He also said several other women then joined in.
“She grabbed my kid’s mom by her hair, pulled her away from me stop punching her face then maybe five or six other girls just came and trampled her and was just stomping her kicking her in the face,” Mays said.
School leaders called 911 during the incident.
Mays said the violence broke his heart because he understands what’s at stake in a kindergarten graduation — the work children and teachers put in long before a child steps onto a stage.
“So, being at another school’s kindergarten graduation, I know how hard those kids work. I know how hard those teachers work for us just to ruin it and be selfish like that and it breaks my heart. I couldn’t watch my daughter graduate today,” Mays said.
The school has not announced when it will reschedule the graduation.
Toledo Ohio Queens of the Apostles School kindergarten graduation parents brawl Jessica Anderson felonious assault Craig Mays
Wait so it was over chairs??
Toledo parents are wild. My nephew’s graduation was calm, like why are grown adults fighting in a kindergarten building. Stitches for what, getting too close to a chair?
So Jessica Anderson got felonious assault for grabbing hair and hitting someone’s head on a chair… but honestly if somebody’s kid mom couldn’t see, just move? Idk why families “carve out space” like it’s a concert. Also if Craig Mays is a teacher/parent, I don’t get why it needed to escalate at all.
This is why I hate “ceremonies” anymore. People acting like they’re in the front row of a football game. It says kids were rehearsing downstairs so I’m thinking someone came in late and everybody lost it… or the school messed up seating. But then it’s felonious assault?? Like first they grab their chairs, then families jump, and someone ends up with stitches. Also he said the girl behind him was cussing?? that part sounds like there’s more to it than chairs.