A 9-year-old Oklahoma boy was served with a victim protective order (VPO) during school after he allegedly stalked and harassed a female classmate for months, leaving his family shocked.
Pottawatomi County Sheriff officials served the student at Horace Mann Elementary School on Wednesday morning after Judge Tracy McDaniel signed off on the order petitioned by the girl’s mother Elsy Goggin, according to KFOR.
Undersheriff for Pottawatomi County, Travis Dinwiddie, explained that their office ensured the boy’s family was notified before serving him during school.
“We served it there because that was the address that was put on the petition by the court… It’s ordered by the courts. And so we have to serve that as officers of the court,” Dinwiddie told the outlet.
Dinwiddie explained the department was only doing their job and following a lawful order by the court.
However, the victim protective order (VPO) being served to the boy during school was a bit harsh for the boy’s family.
“I’m just shocked because he’s nine years old being served by sheriffs at school,” Lavonne McCoy, grandmother of the 9-year-old boy, told the outlet.
McCoy fears the legal consequences of her grandson, who is described as hyperactive, being served will affect his future.
“I’ve seen her at the store, and she always runs after him playing. And he tries to hide because, you know, he’s nine… I’m not sure why he’s getting in trouble for just being a child because there is nothing on here that says any type of abuse,” McCoy said.
She said she had not witnessed her grandson psychically attacking his female classmate and that they were just “children being children, running around playing.”
While it came as a shock to the boy’s family, the mother of the girl has spoken out, saying she would “move heaven or earth to say stop your violence” against her child.
The concerned mother explained that she had made several attempts to resolve the issue before requesting the VPO.
“I had to go to this point where I said, enough is enough,” Goggin told the outlet.
The boy was promptly sent home after he received the order.
In a statement provided to the outlet, Horace Mann Elementary School’s superintendent Dr. Aaron Espolt said he was aware the sheriff came to the school to serve one of his students and that “the safety and security of our students and staff are” the school’s top priority.
“We have protocols and procedures in place, and we fully investigate and address any concerns that students and parents share with us,” Mann said.
“We will always cooperate with our law enforcement officials and will work with families to ensure the highest safety standards and protocols are followed,” the superintendent explained.
Horace Mann Elementary School is about 40 miles outside downtown Oklahoma City.
A hearing has been scheduled for the boy on April 24, according to the outlet.
