On Sept. 18, North Pole High School refused to let students leave the school due to an unspecified “safety threat.”
Students were held behind the doors of the school and crowded into a fish bowl-like setting near the entry. No information was given to parents about why the students were being held for nearly 20 minutes after school.
One parent, Keith Fons, was at the school to pick up his daughter and give her a ride home. He went inside with his camera to find out what was happening and why the students were being herded into the entry and not allowed to be released to their parents or guardians. He videoed the events as they unfolded.
Caution — strong language and emotionally charged content:
After Fons posted the video on Facebook and TikTok, he brought his daughter home and went back to work. Not long after he left, his daughter called him because there were several North Pole City police cars at his house.
Fons lives outside the city limits of North Pole.
Fons returned home and was arrested for assault. He was held for $500 bail, which was quickly posted. The charges were levied by a school district employee who she felt “unsafe” around Fons. The charge is a misdemeanor, Assault 4-Cause Fear Of Injury.
In recent weeks, Fons has been involved in educating the public on issues involving the school board, particularly one school board member whose wife posted a semi-nude picture of him on social media. The arrest may be retaliatory.
Around 3 p.m. in the afternoon, the school sent an email to parents to inform them about an incident that had caused a “sit tight” protocol due to a threat made by a student to a staff member. The situation was resolved and student dismissal proceeded, the email said.
After the Uvalde, Texas shooting at an elementary school, parents are worried when their children are locked inside during an uncertain dangerous situation. Read one mom’s account after she saved her kids from the Uvalde shooting, and felt that police were targeting her.
Fons’ situation was not unlike that Texas woman who just wanted to get to her two children and save them.
Fons discussed the incident on the Michael Dukes show on Sept 19. He had been already scheduled to appear on the show to discuss the Bobby Burgess photo incident and the attempts by supporters of Burgess to de-platform him on social media.
There is now a GoFundMe site set up to help Fons with his legal expenses.
North Pole High School is the school that allowed Mary Peltola to do an illegal campaign event on campus during school hours.
And what equal justice awaits women and girls those who have felt unsafe with men in womens’ bathrooms and womens’ locker rooms?
This.
Hear! Hear!
“And what equal justice awaits women and girls those who have felt unsafe with men in womens’ bathrooms and womens’ locker rooms?”
This was such an excellent question, I had to look it up in the Alaska Statutes. AS 11.41.230:
“Assault in the fourth degree
(a) A person commits the crime of assault in the fourth degree if
(1) that person recklessly causes physical injury to another person;
(2) with criminal negligence that person causes physical injury to another person by means of a dangerous instrument; or
(3) by words or other conduct that person recklessly places another person in fear of imminent physical injury.
(b) Assault in the fourth degree is a class A misdemeanor.”
Looks to me that AS 11.431.230 (a)(3) applies to a female feeling unsafe in a locker room or lavatory who feels unsafe with a man in there with her. I’m pretty sure that the police would refuse to affect an arrest at a privately owned facility without the consent of the property owners, but at a public facility (like a school), a female could (and should) press the issue.
“…….Fons returned home and was arrested for assault. He was held for $500 bail, which was quickly posted. The charges were levied by a school district employee who she felt “unsafe” around Fons. The charge is a misdemeanor, Assault 4-Cause Fear Of Injury………”
Mr. Fons, the school district, and the police look like they deserve each other, but everybody else deserves a bit of communication and service. How is it the police can get to the Fons home so quickly to arrest him, but are nowhere in sight during the supposed emergency?
Best question posted at MRAK. This entire episode was nothing but a “gotcha, Fonz,” moment.
Good question. It sure didn’t look like a crisis and other kids were entering the school with gym bags. Fons does have a potty mouth though 😆.
What emergency?
No one seems to know or they are just too stupid to admit it.
The police were there. They were dealing with a student who threatened a staff member. Police presence was there already. Fons does not tell the truth in situations like these. Too bad he didn’t film my kid or he would have a law suit on his hands! He should have to take the video down because he is showing minors on the internet. He didn’t ask what was going on, he just thought he is some kind of privileged person, which he is NOT!
“………They were dealing with a student who threatened a staff member………”
I got that impression from the article, but police were not seen in the video where both ingress and (more importantly) egress were being restricted by school personnel……..not police. I suppose holding students was possibly to prevent the escape of the unruly student, but if not, the school might have a problem………or the police, for not securing egress themselves. Moreover, since Fons has his adventure recorded (and now widely published, thereby negating the withholding of evidence by the police), his words and actions are pretty well free of “He said, They said”. F-bombs, without actual threats and used to color one’s extent of consideration for unnamed problems, as the source of “fear of imminent injury” might be difficult to prove, and if it’s accomplished, lots of folks out there on the streets (like the homeless) might be subject to more legal jeopardy.
“………They were dealing with a student who threatened a staff member………”
Is the offending student, who caused this entire affair with all the problems for so many people, going to be charged with Assault 4-Cause Fear Of Injury? Wouldn’t it be a travesty of justice if the student was not charged and prosecuted, but Mr. Fons was? If the student is not charged and prosecuted, but Mr. Fons is, wouldn’t that confirm school district persecution of Mr. Fons?
Frivolous lawsuits such as you state will generate big attorney fees for your opponent’s lawyers.
Dan it is not illegal to film
People. Your children are on film all day every day anymore. Security cameras lurk everywhere. I phones as well. Good luck with your law suit. You’re not overly intelligent.
I’d like to know when the assault took place? I didn’t see a single assault on video.
I feel “unsafe” walking the streets with intoxicated homeless people. Good to know I can file assault charges against them.
Good for him; more parents need to step up and remind these “public servants” they are not the authority, the parents are.
Are those parents really the authority though? Especially if all of the other parents, with the exception of Mr. Fons, felt inclined to wait 20 minutes until another parent did the right thing and evoked his authority and parental rights? I’d say Mr. F was the only parent here with authority.
If your schools are not highlighting the family unit as something sacred, or honoring parental rights, take your kids out of that environment now. Your kids have no other mama or papa bear than the ones God gave him or her.
The kids were not ‘detained 20 minutes. It was 10 minutes at the most!
I was in 6th grade and the elementary school did not want me walking home each day. I did it anyway. My goal for that year was to never ride the bus home. As classes ended one day I was told I couldn’t leave due to bad weather. I ignored them, and walked home. My parents didn’t raise me to be a pussy.
These high school kids all need to know that the school does not have more authority than parents. Parents need to back their kids if they decide to leave, especially after the school day is over.
Fairbanks North Star Borough schools are a dismal failure. The majority of the kids, in every single school, do not perform at grade level for math, or reading, or science despite the district getting almost $20,000.00 per kid, per year.
It looks like Mr. Fons could well have been set up by the very Democrats who he has been tangling with. North Pole HS administrators would have created a “safety concern” knowing that Fons would likely appear at the school and then set him up with an assault charge against one of the teachers/administrators. This feud between Fons and Burgess/Schupp/Fletcher has been escalating for several months. This is just the latest chapter. Stay tuned.
Sure Naomi.
Good reporting Suzanne. Mary Peltola is not the only candidate conducting illegal campaigning on school grounds during classes. Grier Hopkins has done it multiple times at multiple schools. These Democrat candidates think they are above the same rules that they call others out on.
John Coghill will be a much better Borough Mayor than Grier Hopkins would ever hope to be. Hopkins has a maturity level somewhat less than the high school kids he is trying to organize.
This isn’t “reporting” this is sensationalism. Alaska’s version of TMZ.
ADN CNN will fit you like a cheap pair of two left shoes.
If you insist on “sensationalism” the Enquirer and the Sun are Sensational
I agree with you on CNN, so why is it ok for MRAK to do the same? I would think you would dislike it regardless of the outlet, right? Or is it just on the platforms you don’t like?
BINGO.
LOL, since you can’t make “Move along nothing to see here” stick, you try to discredit the reporter and Mr. Fons (see below) with unsubstantiated aspersions.
Nice try!
But Drag Queen story hour in the schools is not “sensational” in your mind? Parental rights trumps all others. Don’t get between us and our children. That’s sensational.
The Newsminer always shows their Democrat favorites by posting more photos of them in their rag. Grier Hopkins mug gets splashed around the Newsminer on a regular basis. John Coghill…..hardly ever. Yet, John Coghill is the wise, adult with a steady record and economic horse sense to lead the FNSB. Hopkins is the runny-nosed-kid of a former mayor whose leadership was centered around government regulation and taking away residents wood stoves. No more Hopkins in our local government, please. And that means Uncle Dave Guttenberg too.
I agree with his actions, but I would used less profanity. The school decided to hold everyone in because of a student’s threat to a teacher??? What happened to the old protocol of the security officers or some male teachers grabbing that kid by the seat of the pants, taking him to the principal’s office and holding him there? Have law enforcement pick the offending student up from the principal’s office. That was not a “safe zone” that the school created by holding all of the students there like that – that was a chaos zone that the school created by doing that. Shame on that school’s principal and staff. Homeschooling would be on my agenda. I hope that the father sues the school district.
Were you present? They were creating a safe zone. Police presence was there. They did not want the situation to escalate and students get hurt. It amazes me that so many people are not backing the admin of the school who are protecting the students who they are responsible for!
I wasn’t present, and I strongly disapprove of Mr. Fons language, but I have numerous questions. I’d like to ask them, even if no answers are forthcoming, just so others might consider them.
Wow. Fons knows some pretty tart words. Was that his kid’s English teacher at the front door?
🤣
The teachers only wanted the Fons to get his pronouns right. Those were some pretty juicy verbs and adjectives.
…. and a few nouns, though none were proper.
Public education is child abuse
So, he was arrested for “assault”, even though he never assaulted anybody.
Apparently this is the world we live in now, where ‘feelings’ matter above all else.
Some little nitwit claimed to feel “unsafe” so what appeared to be the entire N Pole police force (several cars) descend upon his residence……and haul him to jail.
Mr Fons obviously has some maturity and emotional issues he needs to learn to control. Profanity laced tirades will do nothing, this is what Liberal Democrats do. He came very close to assault with a perceived threat and pushing his way in. Credibility is lost when one acts in this manner.
Their first mistake was sending their kids to public school to begin with.
I’m glad he got this on video. Authoritarian overreach is showing up more and more here in Alaska. I’ll post this article everywhere, it needs to go viral.
And yet, I bet this guy would have been the first to sue the school and the district if something bad HAD happened to his kid. He comes across as a whiney and foul mouthed jerk. But hey, he plays well on MRAK and its yet another opportunity for Suzanne to get peoples hackles up on here so congrats; mission accomplished.
You need to stop slamming a father for trying to RESCUE his child! Do you have children? I would have done the same dang thing! Less profanity but no difference! That’s HIS child not the school!
Yes! My child was there. I’m thankful they kept my child safe, especially from the crazed man!
Cman,
Have you paid up for your MRAK subscription? You’re a regular commenter here and always find a way to criticize the very place you love to hang out at. Another Democrat looking for free stuff and leaving a trail of poop behind.
Glad I live rent free in your brainpan.
Heil cman, we should shut up and do as we’re told.
All the school officials had to do was give a reason for the lockdown which should have gone out to parents immediately.
But they all seemed to be stuck on stupid….which is no surprise being a public funded indoctrination camp.
Slow down a minute here, cman, it seems that many parents/survivors of school shootings file lawsuits if you look back at events through history. So I am not sure what your hypothetical point is here, other than maligning a parent, who in your hypothetical scenario had something terrible happen to their child. How callous of you is that?
I agree Mr. Fons language leaves much to be desired and a calmer approach may have been better received. That being said, when you are afraid for your loved ones, niceties quickly go by the wayside, especially if none of those supposedly in charge will give you ANY answer/ explanation and only studiously ignores you staring into space. Behavior of this sort clearly contributed to Mr. Fons agitation and displays the arrogance of school official towards parents in general. Considering these institutions are funded by taxpayer funds and supposed to teach kids proper behavior and norms, situations of this nature ARE newsworthy to inform the general public of occurrence contrary to expectations.
If I thought the school stood between me and my kids, I can’t promise my language would be any better.
Would they have released his daughter if he was polite?
The “emergency” was an elementary school student arguing with an adult? The whole thing sounds like a dysfunctional school.
It does make me wonder what the initial threat was perceived to be, since Fons was able to enter the building and the children were all together in one group, like sitting ducks.
Perhaps our public school teachers should be required to take an emotional maturity test before hiring.
Jharrett Bryantt can administer it.
NotAnymore, thank you, I had exactly the same question.
Having in the past worked in schools a “sit tight” or “stay put” normally meant that all students and staff hunker down in their CLASSROOMS/office and ANY student in the hallway was required to enter the nearest classroom, which was locked from the inside. Alternatively students were directed to the gym until the “all clear” was announced. All of these kids roaming around at the front area would indicate that the threat is outside. Yet doors were obviously not locked (which to my knowledge is protocol for outside threats) and no resource officer or police officers where OUTSIDE the school advising/directing parents and assuring their safety. It would further be interesting to know if students exiting through other exits were also detained or if this was just at that location.
NPHS later claiming that there was a safety issue with a student, makes this entire set-up even more strange.
I wonder why parents don’t trust the public school system. Could it be that the school administrator’s have decided what is best for the children? Schools are hiding the fact that they are counseling students on gender identity issues and keeping it from the parents!!
Joe Sniffy said it best when He informed us America’s children are “OUR” children!
J. “Could it be that the school administrator’s [sic] have decided what is best for the children?” Yes they did and you should be grateful. They know the layout, the protocol the plan. They’ve done drills. They work with law enforcement.
They kept the students safe. Except from bomb thrower Fons.
First question… If Fons lives “Outside” the boundaries of North Pole why are the North Pole Police Department responding to his residence and arresting him??? Shouldn’t this be an AST case?
The alleged crime occurred in North Pole, and, regardless, all sworn officers have statewide jurisdiction.
The days of “just gotta make it to the County line and I’m scot free” ended long ago.
Feeling unsafe = assault now?
Section 11.41.230 – Assault in the fourth degree
(a) A person commits the crime of assault in the fourth degree if
(1) that person recklessly causes physical injury to another person;
(2) with criminal negligence that person causes physical injury to another person by means of a dangerous instrument; or
********(3) by words or other conduct that person recklessly places another person in fear of imminent physical injury.********
(b) Assault in the fourth degree is a class A misdemeanor.
AS 11.41.230
Matthew, thanks for your informed point of view.
It seems to me this guy did nothing to warrant a criminal charge. I’ve looked at para. 3, from the Alaska Statute you cite, and ask if you know of examples where Fon’s conduct has been found to be “assault” in case law.
The few examples I can come up with:
“yelling threats of violence, brandishing a weapon while making verbal threats, aggressively following someone while making threatening gestures, throwing objects at someone, driving a car recklessly towards another person, or sending threatening text messages that create a reasonable fear of immediate harm;”
If Fons did none of these things I think this may become a civil case for false arrest against North Pole.
Should have walked through those doors and got your kid! School is no longer in session, they no longer have authority to hold them period!
There is zero excuse to talk to adults like that especially in front of students. Zero. His case would be powerful if he asked questions of the administrators about what is happening in a bit of a rational voice. It hurts us all to be associated with someone like this. It may play to the base out there but will alienate decent people. At best his child is going to be embarrassed or at worst learn from him what this is how you speak to people. I don’t buy the “I’m really concerned about my kid” argument when you act this in front of them. I don’t know that the school is right either but they are not using the incident for publicity either. We have to be better than this.
Good last frontier garden party manners must trump the US Constitution and internation law every time. Right.
I was beginning to think I watched a different video than these other commentors. He must of left out the beginning of the video where he explained who he was and why he was there before he started swearing at everyone. Does this guy think the staff wanted to be there dealing with this? Best line of the video. I don’t think you know who you are f–n with. Is he going to spit on their Big Macs.
The school should spend more time looking for and protecting the quarter million children who crossed the open border and are unaccounted for.
That should keep them occupied for a long time.
nah thats not even fair i got to NPHS myself and I 100 percent agree they should’ve let the students out at the time of this being recorded the “threat” was already arrested which I witnessed by the way this is truly just wrong in my opinion the school didn’t even attempt to communicate the problem with the parents it was the students who educated everyone on the situation and as far as Mr Fons I’m very appreciative towards him and don’t believe he should have been arrested in the first place nor have a 500 dollars bail bond
Does anyone really know why NPHS was on some sort of a lockdown and not letting the kids go home? Why all of the secrecy? What happened?
“Under investigation ”
“Abundance of caution”
Blah blah weasel words, meaning “we know we were wrong and fear a lawsuit so will release no information” and hope this goes away.
What an unhinged individual. I’d be mortified if this was my dad.
…..but Bobbie Burgess *ss photo is so appealing to his kids and all of their friends at school? Wow, Burgess is so cool! And Mrs. Burgess sure knows how to rub those little children with her massage tricks. Great parenting! The school district must be so proud of these people.
The US Constitution expressly says the words “Law of Nations”. This is not an ephemeral cloud in the sky. It is the body of international law upon which nations adhere and recognize around the world determining the legal and social status of his children follow their FATHER. If some backwoods Alaskan school district doesn’t understand let’s raise another glass at the next oktoberfest so the Dems won’t “feel” inexplicably “frightened” in AK. it is a property interest right recognized internationally, federally. Surprise!
What came before the US Constitution? Nothing? How about two hundred years of American Jurisprudence. Based upon what? American common not royal, nor monarch agents law. What came before the Roman Republic Code? Anything? How about Maxims of Law one of them formally being “A belligerent man has his rights”. Fact.
Unfortunately I can go on. The very reason “polite society”, otherwise known as publicly funded employees and (literally) servants is because of the still existing Maxim of formally “The belligerent man has his rights”. The reason they are polite society. They Must be. Not reasonably us the free inhabitants. Ignorance is frightening.
Furthermore a person frightened of her job should be taken at her word. If she is too frightened of her job she should be relieved of it and give another neighbor an opportunity to serve the public.
Your opportunity to complain about a procedure is when the policy is adopted not in the middle of a crisis when you have no idea what all is going on. This guy is a jerk.
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