Fed up with the alleged bullying her daughter was facing at school, a mom decided to take matters into her own hands. After entering her child’s middle school, she confronted and grabbed her daughter’s alleged bully — but things didn’t end as she had likely imagined. Instead, her actions have sparked concerns among some parents while others have sung her praises.
Kelly Sadik, the 41-year-old Maryland mother of an Aberdeen Middle School student, was buzzed into her daughter’s school building at approximately 8:15 am on a Tuesday morning via the school’s outside intercom. However, Sadik, who was accompanied by her child, didn’t go into the office. Instead, she broke school rules and went to the seventh-grade area of the school, where her intentions became clear very quickly.
Fed up with the bullying her daughter had allegedly faced, Sadik confronted her daughter’s alleged bully — a 12-year-old girl, according to the police. As the mom confronted the 12-year-old girl over the alleged harassment of her daughter, a verbal confrontation ensued and quickly escalated as Sadik accused the girl of bullying her daughter, police said. When the girl tried to walk away, things went from bad to worse as Sadik grabbed the girl’s arm in an attempt to continue the conversation.
“At that time, the student tried to turn and walk away,” Sgt. Jason Neidig of the Aberdeen Police Department recalled. “And the parent grabbed ahold of the student’s arm, leaving a pretty nice sized red mark and bruise on that arm.”
According to school officials, a teacher saw what was taking place at that point and intervened. Kelly Sadik was then charged with second-degree assault and trespassing, but not everyone saw a problem with what the mother had done in response to the alleged bullying. In fact, many who commented on articles about her assault against her daughter’s bully, such as one on Yahoo News, applauded the mother, saying things like, “Good for the mom,” “Mother of the year,” and “This lady is a hero.”
As commenters applauded Sadik for protecting and defending her child against the alleged bully, many also took aim at the school, criticizing the system for its “lack of response” to bullying. Some went so far as to say “the parents need to step in, in these circumstances, since schools won’t or can’t” confront the bullies, The Blaze reported. Others faulted the alleged bully’s parents for not teaching their child to behave better. And, others suggested Sadik did what was necessary because “One teen committing suicide [due] to bullying is one [too] many.”
While many felt that Kelly Sadik “should get a medal, not a jail cell” for taking a stand against bullying, her actions raised a valid concern about school security since she was able to enter the school, bypass the office, and put her hands on a student without being stopped. This was the concern expressed by Charles Bates, the father of the girl police say Sadik grabbed, as well as Judy Kibler, the 12-year-old girl’s grandmother, who both shared their concerns with news reporters.
“The biggest concern was how quickly she got into the school; she bypassed the office, and then she got a direction location of where my daughter was,” Charles Bates told WBAL. “She could have had a weapon. She could have had anything. That’s the most frightening part about it.”
Judy Kibler, the 12-year-old girl’s grandmother, shared similar concerns, explaining that at first she “was in shock,” but then she became “angry, frustrated, and really upset” that Sadik “got that far without somebody doing something.” She also alleged that her granddaughter had also been the victim of bullying at school.
“I’m a grandparent. I know when you go to the school you get buzzed in, you go straight to the office,” Kibler said, explaining her frustration that Sadik had made her way into the school against policy. Speaking about bullying in the school, which she alleged her granddaughter also faced, Kibler told WJZ, “It’s not just my granddaughter I’m concerned about; I’m concerned about all these kids. If [the school or school district is] doing something, tell us what you’re doing. I’ve asked that question so many times.”
The school district responded to the criticisms with Harford County Public Schools saying there are safety measures in place for visitors, and staff took action as soon as Sadik broke protocol.
“We vet folks that are coming into our schools. Protocol was followed today by our staff. Unfortunately, we had a parent that decided to break protocol,” Donoven Brooks, Harford County Public Schools chief of safety and security, said. “Fortunately, we had staff members who immediately identified — through their vigilance, and just knowing the building — that there was something that was not right and immediately stepped in to take action.”
Whether you agree with Kelly Sadik and her response to the alleged harassment her daughter faced, one thing is for sure. This mother effectively brought some issues with our public school systems into the public spotlight; namely, the ongoing problem with bullying and safety protocols. While the district hopes parents take comfort in knowing “protocol was followed,” it seemingly ignores the fact that the protocol failed. And, as the alleged bully’s dad pointed out, we can all be thankful Kelly Sadik was only an angry mom who wanted to have words with a student and not a madman with a weapon — this time.
