'Kiss your kids goodbye': Indiana mom threatens teacher for 'same-sex' lesson, court docs say

Yahoo

16-04-2025

The messages left a teacher feeling unsafe and not wanting to return to work.
One read, "... Kiss your kids goodbye and goodnight."
It was sent by Decatur Township parent Carrie Rivers to her daughter's sixth-grade teacher via the district's parent communication app, Parent Square, according to a probable cause affidavit. The woman also is accused of sending messages to the teacher using Facebook.
Minutes before the first message was sent, Rivers was found with a firearm while unenrolling her daughter from the school district in southwest Indianapolis because of "same-sex relationship propaganda."
Rivers is facing charges of misdemeanor harassment and felony possession of a firearm on school property, according to online court records. She was taken into custody April 12. A Marion County judge set her bond at $500 and she was released the same day, according to online jail records. An initial hearing in the case is set for April 23.
Related: Marion County schools scramble to follow new pronoun reporting requirement
At 10:19 a.m., April 9, a Decatur Township School Police officer responded to Valley Mills Elementary School, 5101 South High School Road, after staff there triggered a silent alarm about an "irate parent."
By the time the first officer arrived, the office secretary said the parent, later identified as Rivers, had calmed down.
While talking to Rivers, an officer noticed a firearm on her right side and escorted her out of the building.
"I advised Carrie Rivers on the law in regard to having a firearm on school premises and that it was an arrestable offense. She understood and stated that she didn't even realize that she had it on because she is so used to wearing it and has been on school property with it before," an officer wrote in the affidavit.
The weapon was never brandished by Rivers while she was at the school, police said. The firearm was unloaded and given back to Rivers before she was allowed to leave the campus.
Story continues below gallery.
Before she left, Rivers explained she was on the campus because she was angry about an assignment her daughter's teacher gave regarding "same-sex relationships," according to court documents.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Rivers also referred to her daughter's teacher as a homophobic slur, stating she was not going to keep her daughter in the school district and just withdrew her so she could homeschool.
The teacher later told police that during the first quarter of the year, she gave an assignment to the whole class on the subject matter of flags.
The teacher gave the class examples of country flags and displayed a rainbow flag with the words "be kind."
According to court records, Rivers contacted the teacher about her disapproval of the assignment, believing the teacher was trying to push her agenda regarding sexuality on her daughter.
The teacher allowed Rivers' daughter to be exempt from the assignment.
Within 25 minutes of Rivers leaving the school, she sent more messages to the teacher via Parent Square.
"Hey, thanks for giving [redacted] a real taste of bad teachers and how messed up this world is coming to," Rivers said in part of the text. "God will condemn you to Hell not only for your personal beliefs but for the fact that you use your position to mess with the minds of our children."
In the message, police reported, Rivers called the teacher "a sick individual" who needs to lose their teaching license.
"Messed with the wrong family," Rivers goes on to say. "I'll tell you that, so please say your prayers and kiss your kids goodbye and goodnight."
Later that morning, the teacher received a Facebook friend request from an account with the mother's maiden name and a message.
"You should never tell precious innocent kids that it's ok to be in same sex relationships," the message stated. "You should never be kissing your wife in front of your students, or push your beliefs on our children."
The teacher said she feared for her safety and didn't attend work.
In a statement, the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township said Rivers would not be allowed back on school grounds.
"No threats were made against students or staff at that time. The police suspected that the parent had possession of a concealed handgun on her person and escorted her out of the building. At that point, they took possession of the weapon from the parent without incident outside the school. The parent stated that she forgot to remove the handgun before arriving on school property," the district said in a statement.
"After the incident, it came to our attention that the parent then sent harassing and threatening messages to her child's teacher. A warrant was filed for her arrest, and she is not permitted on any Decatur Township school property."
This isn't the first time an LGBTQ+ teacher in Indiana has been targeted, and right-leaning lawmakers consistently rail against "woke" agendas in schools.
In 2023, House Bill 1608 was introduced into legislation that would have prohibited instruction of gender identity, sexual orientation and related concepts in kindergarten through third grade. The bill did not pass.
This year, House Bill 1041, which is virtually the same bill lawmakers passed in 2022 banning trans girls from participating in girls' K-12 sports, extends the ban on trans girls competing in collegiate athletics. The bill was signed by Gov. Mike Braun on Wednesday.
In a Facebook post March 9, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita shared an image of a hallway wall inside a Zionsville school that had rainbow imagery with messaging reading "You are welcome here" and "Safe Space."
"Is this what Hoosier taxpayers expect in their middle school math class?" Rokita captioned the post. "Parents in Zionsville are tired of the woke propaganda. View more examples like this or submit your own to Eyes on Education."
He then shared a link to an official Indiana government website encouraging parents to call out school districts with any similar type of messaging.
Others are reading: After AG Todd Rokita's pride flag post on April Fools' Day, LGBTQ+ groups want an apology
Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at [e-mail] and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana mom with gun, threatened teacher over 'same sex' agenda, police say