SAN ANTONIO – Attorney Nico LaHood said the charges against his client — a mother accused of giving her son’s alleged bully a non-toxic, concocted drink — were manufactured to fit a circumstance that was never criminal.
Jennifer Rossi’s name and mugshot went viral in early March when the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office posted information about her arrest on its Facebook page.
Rossi was accused of giving her son’s alleged bully a mixed sports drink containing vinegar, lemon, and salt.
LaHood said the incident at Legacy Traditional School-Alamo Ranch should have been handled at the principal’s office, not in the criminal justice system.
“Our position is Mrs. Rossi is completely innocent and did nothing wrong, did nothing illegal based off penal code analysis and statutes that we’re dealing with in Texas,” he said.
LaHood said his client is distraught as her career is on the line.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said he stands by his department’s decision to make this a criminal case.
“While I think we’ve all been in that situation where we’ve got a child that has been bullied, you can’t just take the law into your own hands and go and, you know, do something to a child that clearly puts them at risk for, at the very least, injury,” Salazar said. “It’s not OK.”
The sheriff said posting Rossi’s mugshot was a warning to the community.
“What we’re trying to prevent by publicizing this is so that people know that there are consequences attached to your actions,” Salazar said.
Rossi’s case is awaiting a grand jury indictment. LaHood said the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office has the option to reject the case.
In an email, the DA’s office said it could not comment on a pending case.
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