Mom Maces Elementary School Principal In Face After He Blocks Entrance To School

Elyria, OH – An Ohio mother is facing felony charges after she attacked the principal at her child’s elementary school on Tuesday morning.

The police report said the incident occurred at about 9 a.m. on April 18 at Hamilton Elementary School, located in the 1200-block of Middle Avenue in Elyria, WJW reported.

The school’s principal, Joel Melvin, told Elyria police that he was greeting students in the hallway when he heard a bruhaha taking place between a parent and some other school administrators down the hall.

The police report said Melvin told officers he could hear 27-year-old Jessica Houze screaming obscenities and arguing with the assistant principal and another school administrator, WJW reported.

School officials said that Hamilton Elementary Assistant Principal Katie Huff was trying to stop Houze from entering through an unauthorized door, according to the report.

The principal told officers that he approached the melee to find out what was going on and the angry mother turned her attention on him, WJW reported.

“That’s the guy I want,” Houze allegedly yelled, and then bombarded Melvin with obscenities, according to the police report.

Police said the mother was just outside the school doors when the altercation occurred, WJW reported.

Melvin told officers that he advised Houze to leave the school property and tried to close the doors.

That was when the parent used the can of mace on her key ring to spray the school principal in the face, according to the police report.

Officers on the scene observed the principal was “clearly… dealing with the effects” of being sprayed in the face with a chemical irritant, WJW reported.

Police reviewed security video of the incident and determined that Houze had also threatened the assistant principal, who is seven months pregnant, with mace, but did not actually harm her.

The police report noted that the video showed school officials never touched or pushed the parent away from the school building, WJW reported.

Houze turned herself into authorities at the police station a few hours later, according to the police report.

Elyria police said the woman had been charged with felony assault on a school official and criminal trespassing, WJW reported.