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A Florida mother has been taken into custody after allegedly dousing an assistant principal with Gatorade during the school’s dismissal time.
On March 10, Diliana Quintana-Avila found herself facing charges of battery on a school employee, disrupting an educational setting, and resisting arrest without violence.
The 40-year-old reportedly entered Norland Middle School in Miami Gardens and flung the contents of a Gatorade bottle at Assistant Principal Tiffany Hayes, as stated in an arrest affidavit.
According to the affidavit, Hayes was stationed at her post around 4 p.m. during school dismissal when she noticed Quintana-Avila approaching the school entrance briskly. Hayes approached her and inquired, “How can I help you? Parents are not allowed in the building after 3:20 p.m.”
Hayes recounted that Quintana-Avila responded with a comment in Spanish before throwing Gatorade in her face. Despite Hayes raising her hands and asking the mother to stop twice, Quintana-Avila persisted in what Hayes described as a “belligerent” manner and proceeded to enter the campus.
Hayes said in the affidavit that she tried to stop Quintana-Avila, who allegedly threw the beverage in her face a second time.
A responding officer wrote in the affidavit that he tried to verbally de-escalate the situation, however that Quintana-Avila became “increasingly irate” and refused to produce her driver’s license.
While Quintana-Avila was being escorted to the patrol car, the officer wrote in the affidavit that she became “physically resistant.”
“Miami-Dade County Public Schools is aware of an isolated incident that occurred after school hours at Norland Middle School involving a parent and an administrator,” read a district statement sent to Oxygen. “Miami-Dade Schools Police quickly apprehended and arrested the individual. This District takes the safety and well-being of our students and staff very seriously and remains committed to maintaining a secure school environment for all.”
Quintana-Avila was transported to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and has since been released. An attorney for Quintana-Avila did not respond to a request for comment from Oxygen.
Quintana-Avila later made a court appearance in front of Judge Mindy S. Glazer, according to NBC 6. It is unclear how she pleaded.
Judge Glazer, according to the outlet, had stern words for the mom, reportedly stating: “I’m not ordering you to stay away from Norland Middle School, I’m asking you to act like an adult and listen when people tell you you can’t go into a school or have to show an identification.”