Taking your children to the park is a great way to get your kids outdoors, and is incredibly beneficial for their development and personal well-being. Not only does an outdoor playground offer children a stimulating environment for them to enjoy, but it’s also a safe space for them to be active and do some light exercise. Recently, a North Carolina mom took her youngster to the playground in Vandora Springs Elementary School, but two women — who are both allegedly teachers — called the police on them for “trespassing.” Of course, the mother was not very pleased by this, and recorded some footage as the incident played out to document it.
The video opens inside said park, and sees a young toddler running around on a sunny Sunday, along with some other family members, too. The accompanying video description helps to give some context to the incident, “I took my kids to the playground to play. We have been going here for years. A woman approaches me and says are you all about to leave. I said No. we just arrived #vandorasprings#karens #police”
As the video begins, the North Carolina mom helps to set the scene, “So, we were at the park on Sunday, playing with bubbles, playing with the football, and just enjoying ourselves. We were getting ready for the weekend. Then here come these two women, coming up to me, asking me am I about to leave because they want to let their dogs loose, and I told them no.”
The camera then shows off two White women sat on benches, and one is on the phone. Accompanying them are three dogs. Continuing on, the mother explains, “She said, well, you’re trespassing because this is private property. And I said, well, if I’m trespassing, you’re trespassing, too, and the dogs are also. She said, no, the dogs work here and we work here as well. And I said, if you are a teacher and you act like that, I would never allow my kids at Vandora Springs Elementary — that makes no sense.”
Surprisingly, things continue to escalate, as the two alleged teachers decide to call the police on the Black family for “trespassing.” The mom continues, “So, they’re walking their dogs around and really, I was about to go anyway, but they end up calling the police on me and my kids so we could leave. The police tell them that everybody will have to leave.” During this segment of the video, you can clearly see two police officers in the distance speaking to the two women in the park, which ends the footage.
Interestingly, however, the mother did post a follow-up video, and in it, she shared that the principal of Vandora Springs Elementary School had reached out to her to apologise for the awkward incident, and let her know that “No, families are welcomed” at the park, even though it’s on school property. You can watch it down below.
As expected, social media reactions have criticised the two women involved in the troubling incident, and most largely side with the North Carolina family at the heart of the drama. On TikTok, one user wrote, “My jaw is on the ground! They are teachers?! And calling cops on a Black woman and her children???? Oh HEEELZ naw.” while another opined, “Why couldn’t they just go to a dog park, that’s what there for. This is a playground for kids not dogs. [sic]” A third commenter summed up my thoughts perfectly, declaring, “Imagine calling the cops because babies were playing at the park“.
