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    ABC News Blogs

    Mom Who Forced Son to Walk Alongside Car: 'I Was Already Late for Work'

    By ABC News | ABC News Blogs – Tue, Feb 7, 2012

    ABC News' Ali Ehrlich and Lauren Sher report:

    A Utah mother, who allegedly forced her son to walk alongside a moving car she was driving after he had missed his school bus, has been charged with child abuse and reckless driving, ABC News has learned.

    Stacie Johnson, 37,  reportedly was angry that her 9-year-old son had missed the bus to school one too many times, and was again refusing to walk. But what Johnson may have thought was teaching her son a lesson, turned into criminal charges Monday, 11 days after she was arrested in the incident.

    "He had missed the bus repeatedly … he refused to go to school," Johnson wrote in an email to ABC News. "The reason I did not walk with him is that I was already late for work."

    Police responded to a call on Jan. 26 reporting that a boy was being pulled alongside a moving car by his belt, which was being held by the female driver, as it headed down a Woods Cross neighborhood street.

    Woods Cross Police Chief Greg Butler told ABC News that Johnson was driving at a slow enough speed that the boy could keep pace with the vehicle, but that he could have been hit by traffic driving in the opposite direction.

    Police turned the case over to the Davis County District Attorney's office and Johnson was charged Monday with child abuse, a class A misdemeanor, and a class B misdemeanor of reckless driving.

    While the story has been making its way around the internet, Johnson's identity was not known until after she was charged Monday.

    Johnson told ABC News that contrary to other media reports, she did not "drag her son through the car window in the middle of the road," but rather that the door was "ajar" as she drove slowly to the side of the two-lane road.

    She retains custody of her 9-year-old son and another son, age 12.  Johnson said that her younger son has struggled emotionally ever since she and his father divorced about four years ago.

    ABC News' Katti Gray contributed to this report.

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    • George
      George  •  Kingsport, Tennessee  •  3 mths ago
      My grandmother gaved me a ride to school when I was in the fifth grade after I missed the bus on purpose. We only lived a mile or so from school. She took me half way and told me to get out and walk. She said I missed the bus on purpose which I did and that I should think about what I did while I walked to school. I think about that all the time and the lesson I learned from Annie Ruth Elliott, my cool grandmother. I miss her and she was a retired school teacher.
    • mishap
      mishap  •  3 mths ago
      I had a family who's kid was kicked off my bus and I told them if he had to walk there just one time he would never misbehave again. The Mom had her friend follow her and her son while they walked the 5 miles and HE NEVER CAUSED ANYMORE PROBLEMS ON THE BUS. I let him back on the bus the next day. If children don't have consequences when they do wrong they never learn to be accountable for their behavior. By the way, I was very loved by the students on my bus and received cards & letters for many years after I started to drive semi. As it said on the back of the state drivers manual when I started driving "There are no bad children, just bad bus drivers". I truly believe theres a way to correct EVERY child you just have to find out what works best for that child. I never needed our cameras so they removed them for another bus route.(Having coffee with Mom & Dad at their home works with most)
      • mean mama
        mean mama 3 mths ago
        good to know! my bus driver was so bad, she like to slam the break and watch us kids (who have to stand up because there is no room to sit) hit the windshield. She didn't do anything when I was bully every day, so I walked two hours a day instead of riding the bus. I will never let my son ride a school bus because of that.
    • Barbara Taylor
      Barbara Taylor  •  3 mths ago
      My sixteen year old son has only missed the bus twice in the last five years. The first time he missed the bus was after the Christmas holidays a couple of years ago. I warned him the weekend before he had to return to school to go to bed early to re-adjust his sleeping...needless to say he didn't listen. The punishment? He had to walk the 3 miles to school, truthfully admit to the front desk the reason why he was late and risk the consequence. Of course it didn't help that his mother informed to the school during his walk, of what had happen. The second time he missed the bus was right after he started at the new High School 9 miles away. Since I couldn't make him walk, I took him to school, escorted him to the front desk in front of all his peers, while his little 4 year brother berated him for having to interupted his Blue's Clue show. News to date.. so far hadn't missed the bus since then.... :P
      • jg
        jg 3 mths ago
        Some kids learn and some don't. You got lucky your son took the embarresment to heart. Her son did not and continued to miss the bus.
      • me
        me 3 mths ago
        Jg then she didn't embarass him properly. My daughter knows if I have to come to the school it will be in rollers, cold cream and a house coat. The thought of embarassment is enough to keep her on the straight and narrow. Follow through has taught her that my threats are not empty.
      • jg
        jg 3 mths ago
        @ not every child cares about you embarresing yourself. I have one that would be mortified and one that would just shrug it of with:"that is just my crazy mom" I was lucky they are both good kids that are willing to cooperate, however it can easly be another way. You lose a lot of bargaining power if your kid just does not care. It is so easy to blame her,but you just don't know what is going on. Not everyone has the perfect life, have some compassion. At least she cares enough to try to get him to school and teach him responsibility and concequences of his actions, regardeless of how she went about it. Mom's in this country have no back up, no support, and it is always their fault. Why is the dad not being assailt for not taking any responsibility? Wether he is still in the picture and knows what is going on and did nothing or he left, he did not help. Either way he is not living up to his responsibilities but no one here calls him on it
    • Nello
      Nello  •  3 mths ago
      I just read the article about the Chinese family making their 4yr old run almost naked in the snow, and they didn't get any charges!?!
      • ariel
        ariel 3 mths ago
        Because that's not as dangerous as making your child walk forcefully into oncoming traffic.
      • Nello
        Nello 3 mths ago
        I guess I'm not sure how
    • gordon c
      gordon c  •  Burlington, Canada  •  3 mths ago
      Give me a break ........ he should walk to school for the rest of the year ..... people let there kids walk all over them and missing the bus means no school right....Wrong Walk
      • CVK
        CVK 3 mths ago
        You are what is wrong with this nation, people who take a hands-off approach to "parenting". How the hell can this kid be TRUSTED to walk to school by himself, when he won't even get on a bus?! True parents know that the answer is to PUNISH him by driving him to school everyday - to MAKE SURE HE GETS TO AND STAYS IN SCHOOL!!!
      • gordon c
        gordon c 3 mths ago
        Listen i have 3 kids who tried all the tricks they are now successful members of society so i guess i am not really whats wrong with the nation my kids went to school everyday and if you have to drive your kids to school everyday to ensure they get there i would not be questioning my methods your clearly the one doing something wrong my kids are either in University or Graduated lol Does that mean i am not a "TRUE PARENT" PLEASE TELL ME
    • connie
      connie  •  Tampa, Florida  •  3 mths ago
      I think that this why our children get away with so much today. If the parents try to fix something we get into trouble. The children can do what ever they please and the law is on there side. We parents do not have any rights, they have been taken away,but let the kids do something wrong and the law still comes after you. I'm so glad my kids are grown. I was'nt a perfect parent but my sons love me and respect me. Thats a lot more then most parents get today.
    • Jonathan
      Jonathan  •  St James, New York  •  3 mths ago
      Can we prosecute real criminals.
    • YAHOOO
      YAHOOO  •  3 mths ago
      I believe they should check to see if he was being bullied on the bus.
    • audra h
      audra h  •  Cincinnati, Ohio  •  3 mths ago
      I did one better, and thankfully did not have to be at work. My child missed the bus one too many times also. She saw me at the school and asked how were we getting home when she didn't see the vehicle. I walked up to the school to pick her up and we walked home on the street because I wanted to teach her a lesson. She never missed the bus again after that. Hence, lesson learned.
    • Loren
      Loren  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 mths ago
      God help these poor kids. Boy are they in for a harsh lesson when they find out how the schools and legal system have failed them. This women at least made an effort to get the little brat up to speed. If more parents instilled some serious discipline in their children they would be much better able to face what lies ahead. Nine is not to young for that.
    • Chuckie
      Chuckie  •  3 mths ago
      When I was a kid I would have been forced to run in front of the car.
    • No name
      No name  •  Oklahoma City, Oklahoma  •  3 mths ago
      My mother forced my siblings and I to walk home after we were being unruly. She followed us in the car. Granted we lived in the country and the road was only traveled by people who lived in the area. We also weren't forcefully dragged, but it was a lesson we never forgot, and we never got the same punishment again. We are all grown up now and still laugh about it. Though this woman went a little too far, I think the media and public officials are far too strict leading to poor lessons of no consequence for bad behavior. Parents being arrested for light spanking, parents suing schools to allow their children to break rules, etc.. It's just pathetic.
    • ann
      ann  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  3 mths ago
      The government has lost its mind! How on earth is this child abuse?! There are some children, I have one of them, that can be so stubborn that you have to come up with creative solutions. Mornings can be rough with children that just dont want to cooperate, I feel for this mom.
    • Kenneth
      Kenneth  •  Springfield, Illinois  •  3 mths ago
      Sometimes you just have to whoop a child's behind in order for them to get the point that certain actions and behaviors are not tolerated.
    • Tori Westbrook
      Tori Westbrook  •  3 mths ago
      You can't teach a child responsibility if he's never held responsible for anything.
    • JohnF
      JohnF  •  3 mths ago
      When I was in school I had to walk five miles to school up hill both ways. Rain Snow or 30 degrees below zero. I never missed a day .... .Because if I missed a day I got a spanking when my father got home from work.
    • darrin
      darrin  •  Galveston, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      when i was 9 daddy didnt ask me what to do he told me, if he told me to walk to school then i walked to school,if i missed the bus on purpose i ran to school
    • RaymondW
      RaymondW  •  Houston, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      He had better be glad that the wasn't mine. He would have had his backside put on fire. Kids DO NOT rule at my house.They haven't learned enought about life, respect , education to tell me that they are not going to school and still live in my house. I do not like having to do something that extereme, but if push comes to shove I would.

      When I was young and living with my aunt and uncle, If I didn't do the right thing I was subject to meeting the willow tree branch. It didn't take me long to do the right thing.
    • weldrider
      weldrider  •  Irvine, California  •  3 mths ago
      Divorce hurts young kids the most...
    • Daniel C
      Daniel C  •  Monroe, Louisiana  •  3 mths ago
      Children lash out when their parents become divorced. They dont know how to deal with mom and dad not living together. His repeatedly missed the bus and didnt want to go to school. She is his parent and has the right to discipline her kids. Whether someone else thinks it harsh is irrelevant. She didnt hurt the child only his pride. She taught him a lesson. But some weak knee called the police and she was arrested. Now the lesson is if mom or dad punishes me or doesnt let me do what I want all I have to do is call the police and I get what I want. Thats what they are taught in school. If someone touches you in a way you dont like report it. Well spanking is touching that they dont like so it goes on and on...... The government needs to stop socialistic parenting. What we can do and say to our kids. Whats next? Communism.......
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