Kissimmee man arrested after refusing to pick up daughter from school, police say

Walter Kramer arrested on child neglect charge

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – A Kissimmee father was arrested on allegations of refusing to pick up his daughter from middle school after she missed her bus.

Walter Kramer, 57, was arrested Thursday on one count of child neglect.

According to Kissimmee police, the principal of Kissimmee Elementary School informed a police officer on Wednesday that a 14-year-old girl who attends Kissimmee Middle School was in the front lobby and needed a ride home.

School staff contacted the girl's father, identified as Kramer, who said he was not going to pick her up and it was the school's responsibility to take her home, according to police.

The principal told police that it wasn't the first time Kramer refused to pick up the girl from school.

A police officer contacted Kramer, who said he had a car but did not want to waste gas by picking up his daughter, according to officials.

The girl's mother works at Disney World and could not be reached by phone, police said.

The officer took the girl home about an hour later, but her father wasn't there, police said.  The girl was released into the custody of her sister, police said.

A warrant was issued for Kramer, who war arrested the next morning at Kissimmee Middle School.

Kramer was taken to the Osceola County Jail but was later released on bond.

Kramer tells Local 6 that his daughter missed the bus because they wouldn't let her go to the bathroom and she went after school.

"My daughter as in the past has been denied use of the restroom," Kramer said. "The bus came ahead of schedule. She was in the restroom doing her business and she missed the bus."

Kramer said he was on the 4:15 p.m. bus to go and pick her up and that he never told authorities that he didn't want to waste gas.

Kramer also said that this is the second time his daughter has missed the bus because she had to use the restroom.

"It's not responsibility that the student gets on the bus at the proper period," Kramer said. "It's not my responsibility that they give her adequate time to go to the restroom."

The school said through a spokeswoman that every student is allowed to go to the bathroom whenever they need to.

No further comment was available from the district, citing student privacy concerns.


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