A police officer who works as a school resource officer in Warren, Ohio, was escorted off his assigned school campus after he ticketed a public school principal for parking in a handicapped spot.
According to representatives from the Warren police union, the officer was swiftly removed from the school campus, much like a criminal. It was also noted that the officer gave the principal several warnings over the issue, but apparently the principal felt herself to be above the laws of society.
“The principal was warned several times,” said officer Michael Currington, an employee representative for Warren’s police union. “Resource officer Adam Chinchic was ordered and escorted out of the building by the school’s business manager and the head of security in the same fashion as a criminal.”
Handicapped parking spaces have been around for many years, and laws concerning who can use them are usually dictated by states according to guidelines in the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to current Ohio state law, it is illegal to park in a handicapped parking spot unless an individual has been granted a disability accommodation, and individuals who chose to violate the law may be subject to a minimum fine of $250.
In addition to the principal’s blatant disrespect for the rule of law and deeming herself more important than individuals with physical disabilities, members of the police union were also angry because the officer had planned to enjoy lunch with a number of young students at the school that day, but was unable to do so after the principal sent school officials to remove the officer from campus.
“Our officer was upset because he had promised a second-grader he would have lunch with her and he couldn’t explain to her why he wouldn’t be there,” Currington continued. “He was more upset about the student.”
Senior officials in the Warren Police Department have defended the officer, also noting that allowing certain individuals to violate the law may send a negative message to children about following the rules.
“The officer asked her several times not to park there,” said Warren City Law Director Greg Hicks. “My understanding she was parked in the striped area next to the handicap spot, and that is not allowed. She was told several times. If we allowed that, what would we be teaching our kids?”
John Patrick (@john_pat_rick) is a graduate of Canisius College and Georgia Southern University. He interned for Red Alert Politics during the summer of 2012 and has continued to contribute regularly.
