Crime & Safety

Mom Ranted At Daughter's Alleged Bullies, Faces Charges

The mother of a Niguel Hills Middle School student was charged Tuesday and faces a year in jail for her diatribe & "A-- Whooping" tickets.

MISSION VIEJO, CA — A mother frustrated with her daughter's ongoing bullying at Niguel Hills Middle School faces misdemeanor charges for stepping over the line and onto school campus, uninvited earlier this year.

In May, Christian Chylyn Prince-Tinsley, 33, of Mission Viejo, went into her daughter's middle school classroom without checking in at the school and threatened students in front of their teacher, the below video shows (warning, graphic language). Prince-Tinsely accused a group of boys, whom she did not name, of bullying her daughter. The expletive-filled rant that followed received support from some and outrage from others both on the news and on social media. The Orange County District Attorney decided that no matter the reason, her classroom disruption warranted the misdemeanor charge filed against her Tuesday.

Did She Become A Bully Herself?

In the video, Prince-Tinsley tells her daughter's classmates at Niguel Hills Middle School to leave her daughter alone or she "would take on" their sisters, aunts, moms or anyone over 18 years old.

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"Leave my daughter alone, and I mean it, you all are boys, she's a girl, and she can't take it," she told them in the class. "You think you're bullies? I'm the big bully."

Tinsley also asked the teacher to pass out a stack of tickets that read: "Free A-- Whooping for Free. Must be 18 or older to redeem."

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According to the Capistrano Unified School District, the mother was escorted off campus by the assistant principal after the teacher called the school office for help.

Capistrano Unified School District banned her from returning to the school. Niguel Hills has since adopted upgraded security to prevent "unauthorized people from having access to the campus," the district has said.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said schools should be safe spaces where children can learn and thrive.

"Unfortunately, schools across America have become the targets of violence," he said. "This incident was way more than an attempt to address accusations of bullying. (Her actions were deliberate) and intended to terrorize a room full of young children in the very space where they are supposed to be safe."

If a parent was concerned about her child's well being, this was not the way to go about it, he said.

"There were lawful and appropriate ways for Prince-Tinsley to address her concerns," Spitzer said. "Sneaking on campus, entering a classroom during class, taking over the class and verbally threatening 12- to 14-year-old students as an adult was way beyond the bounds of being a concerned parent. Everyone is concerned about school violence, and threats to students and campus personnel, and this act cannot go unpunished."

Prince-Tinsley later told reporters "Sometimes as a parent, you have to decide as a parent if you are willing to do whatever it takes."

Senior Deputy District Attorney Denise Hernandez is prosecuting the case.

Warning. This video contains foul language.


Capistrano Unified School District policy states: "when a parent or student shares their concerns about bullying with the administration, teachers or staff, it is immediately handled at the school site. Both students and their parents are contacted."

Prince-Tinsley told reporters she did reach out to the school through the proper channels, but when her daughter's bullying did not end she felt compelled to take matters into her own hands.

She is scheduled to be arraigned on November 6, at the Harbor Justice Center in Department H8 at 8:30 a.m. She faces a maximum sentence of one year in jail if convicted.

As part of a national reporting project, Patch has been looking at society's roles and responsibilities in bullying and a child's unthinkable decision to end their own life in hopes we might offer solutions that save lives.

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