An Indiana mother faces serious charges after confronting a teacher with a firearm over a classroom assignment involving flags that she mistakenly believed contained LGBTQ content.
Key Insights
- Carrie Rivers was arrested for bringing a gun to Valley Mills Elementary School and threatening her daughter’s sixth-grade teacher over an assignment about flags.
- The incident escalated when Rivers discovered the assignment included a rainbow pride flag as an example of a non-national flag, though her daughter was allowed to skip the assignment.
- Rivers claimed she “forgot” she was carrying the firearm, while her husband asserted that other parents routinely bring guns to school despite legal prohibitions.
- After the confrontation, Rivers sent threatening messages to the teacher, calling her a “child predator” and using homophobic slurs.
- The mother has been charged with possession of a firearm on school property and harassment, and is now banned from campus.
Confrontation Over Classroom Assignment
The incident at Valley Mills Elementary School in Indianapolis began when Carrie Rivers confronted her daughter’s sixth-grade teacher about an assignment she believed promoted LGBTQ content. According to official reports, Rivers arrived at the school armed with a pistol in her waistband and used homophobic language toward the teacher. The teacher had explained that the lesson was about different types of flags, with the rainbow pride flag included merely as an example of a non-national flag. Despite the teacher permitting Rivers’ daughter to skip the assignment, the mother’s hostile behavior continued.
When school officials discovered Rivers was armed during the confrontation, law enforcement was immediately contacted. Responding officer Tabetha Emenaker later reported, “Carrie Rivers stated that she did have a gun as I was removing it from her person.” Rivers claimed she had forgotten she was carrying the weapon because she was accustomed to having it with her, an explanation that did little to mitigate the seriousness of bringing a firearm onto school grounds.
Ongoing Threats and Harassment
The situation worsened after Rivers left the school premises. Rather than ending the confrontation, she began sending threatening messages to the teacher. In these communications, Rivers called the educator a “child predator” and wrote ominous warnings including “God will condemn you to hell” and “Say ur prayers and kiss ur kids goodbye and goodnight u never know when god says its our time so be prepared.” These messages, deemed harassment by authorities, formed part of the basis for the criminal charges filed against Rivers.
“God will condemn you to hell” – Carrie Rivers
Court documents revealed that the teacher’s family photos displayed on her desk, showing her wife and daughter, may have further agitated Rivers. Despite accusations that the teacher was promoting same-sex relationships, school officials confirmed that the assignment was appropriate educational content about various flags and contained no advocacy for any particular lifestyle or orientation.
Family’s Defense and Legal Consequences
Leon Rivers, Carrie’s husband, attempted to normalize the behavior by claiming, “We see [other parents] bring guns into the school all the time, just to drop kids off.” This statement contradicts clear laws prohibiting firearms on school property in Indiana. Law enforcement officials have emphasized that regardless of frequency, bringing weapons to school remains illegal and dangerous. Mr. Rivers’ assertion has raised additional concerns about security protocols at the school.
“We see [other parents] bring guns into the school all the time, just to drop kids off” – Leon Rivers
Following the incident, authorities issued a warrant for Rivers’ arrest. She has been formally charged with possession of a firearm on school property and harassment, both serious offenses that could result in significant legal penalties. The school district has banned Rivers from campus and has publicly praised the swift response of staff and local police in handling the potentially dangerous situation. School officials reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a safe learning environment for all students and staff members.
Sources:
- Indiana mom took gun to grade school and threatened lesbian teacher, police say
- ‘Irate’ mother arrested after bringing gun to school, allegedly threatening to murder lesbian teacher’s family over LGBTQ assignment
