Woman accused of throwing spices at girls who she says bullied her daughter

COCOA, Fla. — A 46-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday morning after she threw a powder at two Cambridge Elementary School students who she said had bullied her daughter, the Cocoa Police Department said.

Investigators said Simmone Lavern James was arrested on two counts each of child abuse and battery and was banned from campus after she threw an off-white substance into the faces of an 8-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl.

Police said the powder is believed to be a mixture of salt and cayenne pepper.

A witness said she saw James pointing at a girl's face in the school parking lot before another girl entered the front office with James following behind her, an arrest report said.

"Take care of these kids. They did it again," James said, according to the report.

Investigators said James had reported that the girls had repeatedly bullied her daughter.

"They reported the alleged bullying to school administrators, (who) -- by policy and law -- (were) doing an investigation," said Matt Reed, a Brevard Public Schools assistant superintendent. "That's an extensive process."

The school district said it is required to develop an action plan that provides options to the families of all students involved.

School officials said they must first establish that there was repeated behavior and an imbalance of power to establish that bullying occurred.

Cox Media Group