A pair of Ohio parents are facing charges after they ignored local public health guidelines and curfews to throw a birthday party for their 14-year-old child.
Officers in the Mount Healthy Police Department say they observed a large party bus entering a shopping center just before 10 p.m. on Saturday, December 12. Dozens of kids were seen exiting the bus without wearing masks or practicing social distancing. “Several fights broke out which necessitated calls for assistance from other police agencies,” reads a post on the police department’s Facebook page. “One juvenile attempted to strike Mt. Healthy Police Officer Dunn and was arrested.”
The driver of the bus reportedly fled the scene when officers approached, leaving behind about 60 kids. Officers worked for over an hour trying to keep the kids at a safe distance and contact each child’s parent or guardian to come pick them up. Police later determined the group was a part of an “open invitation” birthday party.
The parents who planned the party have been charged with violating the governor’s orders, which includes a curfew for minors age 14 and under that lasts from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Additionally, the parents did not have permission from the shopping center’s owner to use it as a party location. The Mount Healthy Police Department is meeting with prosecutors to determine if additional charges can be filed.
The story has sparked a heated debate about COVID-19 restrictions and whether or not the parents should face charges at all. Some are pointing out how irresponsible it was for the bus company to rent out a party vehicle.
“What charter bus service would allow this during the worst part of the pandemic? The parents, the bus service and these juveniles should all be held accountable,” one person writes on the Mount Healthy Police Department Facebook page. “Thank you MHPD for trying to control the chaos when the parents neglected their supervision roles.”
But others say the police were wrong to interfere with the party because they think COVID-19 restrictions infringe on their rights. “Welcome to the police state and government overreach,” one person says.
Another commenter adds, “I’m going to guess those 14-year-old kids didn’t get rowdy until the tyrants showed up. The kids are patriots for defying orders, especially the arrested one.”
The incident highlights how divided many communities are regarding COVID-19 restrictions. While many families are staying home, wearing masks and practicing social distancing, others are still planning parties and living their lives similarly to how they lived pre-pandemic. Unfortunately, COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are still on the rise, and making smart choices related to public health is more important than ever. An average of 200,000 Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 every day of the past two weeks, according to an analysis of coronavirus case data by CNN.
While each state has different guidelines in place related to COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states unequivocally that large gatherings where social distancing isn’t practiced are considered a high-risk activity. They also stress that gatherings should comply with state, local, territorial or tribal safety laws and regulations.
The Mount Healthy Police Department says they have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of their community, even if people disagree. “Parents – it is your responsibility to manage your children,” says the statement on the department’s Facebook page, “Mount Healthy Police will not tolerate blatant law violations, especially when such action endangers our community, our officers and public health.”
