A 37-year-old parent, Sabrina Silas, was arrested and charged with multiple offenses after an altercation with a student on the New Iberia Senior High campus escalated into a fight.
Following her arrest, she was booked by the New Iberia Police on charges of disturbing the peace, cruelty to a juvenile, and unlawful disruption of the operation of a school.
A parent, whose daughter was involved, informed KATC that her child and Silas’ daughter had a prior history of conflict.
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She alleged that on the day of the incident, Silas managed to bypass school security to enter the campus and then assisted her own daughter during a physical altercation in a school hallway.
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The incident has led many to question the circumstances and procedure.
Superintendent Heath Hulin explained to KATC that “the person tried to gain entry to the school, and kind of pushed her waypast our security point, so we had to go to our second layer of defense and call the resource officer at that point.”
“They had several administrators standing at the entrance who immediately followed the visitor into the school, to try to stop them, um, you know, shortly after they entered through the front doors, within seconds the school resource officer was notified and the person was apprehended and escorted, you know, back to the front of the building,” Hulin continued.
“It’s not uncommon for parents to be in the drop-off area in the morning, dropping off their kids, so, you know there were lots of people around and, it wasn’t an alarm to see a parent standing in front of the school because you know, a lot of times parents are dropping off kids at the same time,” Hulin added.
The school district is currently reviewing campus procedures and looking for ways to enhance security on campus as the investigation proceeds.
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After the initial incident, the Iberia Parish School System issued an email to parents which read:
“Dear Parents and Guardians, We are writing to inform you of an incident that occurred on our school campus. During an altercation between students, a parent who was present on campus became involved in the incident. School staff responded immediately. The parent was promptly apprehended, removed from campus, and taken into custody by the New Iberia Police Department. The individual was arrested, and the school system will be pursuing further legal action as appropriate,” the email states.
“This situation was resolved quickly due to the swift response of school personnel and local law enforcement. The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families is our highest priority. We are sharing this information as part of our commitment to transparency and to keep our school community informed. We continue to work closely with law enforcement and will take all necessary measures to maintain a safe and secure learning environment. We appreciate your continued trust and partnership. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the school administration directly.”
Superintendent Heath Hulin also told KATC that “this type of behavior will not be tolerated, and, in addition to legal action, will result in banning from all school campuses and school or district-sponsored activities.”
Silas was arrested by the NIPD and booked into the Iberia Parish Jail on January 14. However, according to Iberia Parish Jail records, Silas was no longer in custody when last checked on the morning of January 16.
