'I will bring every single gun loaded': Mom threatens school board over Page Co. COVID mask mandate

Patrick Hite, Staunton News Leader
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UPDATE: Per the Luray Police Department's Facebook page at 7 p.m. Friday, Amelia Ruffner King, 42, was charged with making an oral threat while on school property. The post said that the magistrate has released King on a $5,000.00 unsecured bond.

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LURAY — A parent opposed to mask mandates in Page County Public Schools threatened to bring loaded guns to school Monday if her child was forced to wear a mask.

On Thursday evening, the Page County School Board voted in favor of making masks optional for students beginning Monday. That follows an executive order by Gov. Glenn Youngkin giving parents the choice to send their children to school masked or unmasked.

Not all schools are following the executive order. Locally, both Staunton and Waynesboro had said they will continue to require masks. Augusta County is waiting until at least Feb. 14 to make masks optional.

Before the vote and during the public comment section at the Page County School Board meeting Thursday, which is available to view on YouTube beginning at the 41:30 mark, Amelia King of Luray spoke to the board on why she was opposed to mandatory masks.

King was cut off at the three-minute mark, as is the board’s policy, but she managed to get in a final statement that has drawn national attention.

“No mask mandate,” she said. “My child … my children will not come to school Monday with a mask on. Alright? That’s not happening. And I will bring every single gun loaded and ready to … i will call every …”

She was cut off and told again that she had exceeded her three-minute time limit to speak. As she turned to leave the podium, she told the school board members, “I will see ya’ll on Monday.”

The Luray Police Department posted a statement on its Facebook page Friday afternoon, saying its department along with the Page County Sheriff’s Office and the Page County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office are actively investigating the incident.

“The statement that was made absolutely caused public alarm, the parent that made the statement realized that, and immediately contacted law enforcement to apologize because the statement was not intended the way it was perceived,” the statement said. “The safety of the students and school staff are our number one priority, we are working diligently with the Page County School Board to ensure proper measures have been put in place for their safety.”

The post on the department’s Facebook page has received more than 700 comments, many people upset that the speaker wasn’t arrested for her threat.

“It was a terroristic threat,” wrote Barbara Lewis. “I'm not surprised you're not treating it as such, but she should have been arrested immediately.”

“We all heard what she said,” wrote Richard Edelman. “She threatened violence at a school, on Monday. A bomb threat, made under the same circumstances, would be cause for arrest. The threat has been made, that is the crime.

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The Luray Police Department said it has also reached out to state and federal law enforcement agencies regarding this incident.

“We have been in contact with the parent who made the statement, she is cooperating with law enforcement,” the statement said. “This incident is still under investigation and no arrests have been made at this time.”

Page County Superintendent Antonia Fox and School Board Chairperson Megan Gordon released a joint statement Thursday in which they said the school division “does not take these kinds of statements lightly,” and is working with law enforcement on the issue.

The letter also said there would be increased police presence at the school Monday.

“Not only do comments such as these go against everything we wish to model for our students,” the statement said. “They go against the very nature of how we as a community should interact with each other.”

Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education and sports reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Page County parent threatens to bring guns to school over mask mandate