One of the men who showed up with zip-ties to confront the principal of Mesquite Elementary School over COVID-19 protocols in 2021 was sentenced to jail on Wednesday.
Kelly Walker was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail with an additional 70 days suspended, pending completion of probation, court records say. Walker was also given 36 months of probation.
In addition to jail time, Walker must pay $2,000 in fines and $7,628.39 in restitution to the Tucson City Court for the Vail School District, court records say. He also can’t contact any employees at Mesquite Elementary School or any employees at Vail School District for three years.
Walker also can’t return to any Vail School District properties for three years, can’t post any social media posts, videos, or blogs about certain school employees and must remove any social posts about Vail district employees, court records say.
Walker was previously found guilty of two counts of interference with or disruption of an educational institution, intentionally or knowingly remaining on property of an educational instruction so as to interfere with its lawful use, refusing to obey lawful order to leave educational property and one count of disorderly conduct. All are misdemeanors.
On Sept. 2, 2021, a parent went into the principal’s office at the Vail school upset that his child would have to isolate and miss a school field trip because of possible exposure to someone with COVID-19, the Associated Press previously reported. Walker and another man also barged into the office.
The Associated Press reported that one of the men was carrying large black zip ties, that could be used as handcuffs. The men were claiming that the principal was breaking the law and they were going to arrest her.
Walker argued that the incident was justified because they were “bullying” children and families by imposing pandemic quarantine he considered illegal, according to a column by the Star’s Tim Steller.
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