Mother, son arrested in dress code dispute

By Jim Patten
jpatten@eagletribune.com

October 04, 2008 12:01 am

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LAWRENCE — An argument over the high school dress code led to the arrest of a mother and her 16-year-old son at the high school, police said.

Officer Christopher Cote was sent to the school at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, where he found Gina Castillo, 36, of 176 Prospect St. arguing in a loud voice with a school safety officer who told her to leave.

She refused, until she saw Cote approaching. Then, she grabbed her son and walked out of the building.

Cote tried to speak with Castillo, telling her she should make an appointment to speak with the superintendent about the matter.

Castillo began yelling and telling others about the way the school handles the school uniform policy, police said.

After being told to leave or be arrested, she told Cote "arrest me," police said.

As Cote placed her in handcuffs, her son tried to intervene. A struggle ensued and he was also arrested.

Later, Castillo told officers the reason she is so upset with the school is that her son had been sent home for the past three days because of a uniform issue and had missed an important test, police said.

Castillo was charged with disturbance of a school assembly, assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Her son, whose name is being withheld because he is a juvenile, was charged with assault and battery on a public employee, assault and battery on a police officer, disturbance of a school assembly, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.