A family trip home from Disney World ended in violence when a Maryland woman was arrested at Orlando International Airport for striking a child. According to police, the disagreement started on the plane before takeoff. Witnesses say the child repeatedly teased the woman about her weight, calling her “Miss Piggy” and saying she would not fit in her seat.
Instead of ignoring the comments or alerting flight staff, the woman lost her temper. Officers report that she hit the child with a reusable water bottle and then pushed his head into the airplane window. Airport security met the flight crew at the gate and took the woman into custody. She now faces a felony child-abuse charge, which in Florida can carry a prison sentence if she is convicted.
Authorities have not released the child’s age or any information about his relationship to the woman, but they confirmed that both parties had been vacationing at Disney World. Airline officials remind passengers that verbal harassment, while upsetting, should be handled by alerting crew members, not through violence. Child advocates also point out that bullying is a serious issue, yet physical retaliation only makes the situation worse.
The woman has been released on bond and is expected to appear in court later this summer.