Westchase mom says slur set off lunch fight

WESTCHASE — Sometime before noon Monday, the wife of former Bucs cornerback Tyrone Legette walked into the front office of Westchase Elementary.

Reginene H. Legette walked past the desk without signing in as required by district policy, a school district spokesman said. She went to an outside patio to have lunch with her child, a student at the A-rated school in northwest Hillsborough.

At some point, a parent and a student hurled a racial epithet at her son, who is black, said Legette's attorney, Ralph Fernandez.

Punches were thrown. Handcuffs were slapped on Legette. A bloodied-faced mother was taken to a hospital. All in front of 8-year-olds, teachers and other parents who were eating.

Portions of that account differed vastly from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office version of events, first reported in Tuesday's St. Petersburg Times.

According to sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter, Legette, 42, walked up to a table where kids were eating and punched Mickey Carney several times on the left side of her face, causing "serious head and facial swelling."

By the sheriff's account, she was heavily intoxicated, running from a sheriff's deputy, disobeying 10 commands to stop, jabbing the deputy in the chest, running into a corporal, screaming profanities at officials, and urinating in the school hallway. Deputies found a cold bottle of wine in her purse.

Legette was arrested and charged with trespassing on school grounds, disorderly intoxication, disrupting an assembly, battery striking or touching, two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and obstructing or opposing an officer. She was released on $5,750 bail.

Carney, 40, was taken to a hospital, but Carter didn't know which one or if she'd been released.

Legette funneled questions to her attorney. Fernandez said "somebody" struck his client first. He stopped short of naming Carney as the perpetrator, but said, "I don't think there were many others there."

Asked about his client's behavior toward deputies, Fernandez said the allegations were outrageous.

Meanwhile, parents worried about the effects Monday's lunchtime brawl had on students.

Principal Scott Weaver alerted them of the incident in a note sent home on Monday.

In the letter, he said students were detained in classrooms for about 10 minutes as the scuffle and arrest unfolded.

He said guidance counselors would be available to talk to them on Tuesday morning.

District spokesman Stephen Hegarty said he did not know if any children sought counseling.

"It's unfortunate that the children had to see their parents acting this way," said Sandi Foster, the mother of first- and fifth- grade girls and treasurer of the Westchase Elementary PTA.

Tracy Urso, president of the parent-teacher group, said the fight has not altered her perception of safety at the school.

Comments on this article

by Leroy	Oct 6, 2008 10:03 AM
If they find that in fact No "racial slur" was ever used, Legette should face additional hate-crime charges for abusing the race card

by John	Oct 5, 2008 10:42 AM
She puts a new meaning into Brown Bagging it. I wonder if the wine was MD20-20

by see	Oct 5, 2008 10:05 AM
In order to be charged with DUI the officer has to see or catch her behind the wheel of a vehicle. I wonder if the school will remove the child because the parent is a danger to everyone in that school.

by bub	Oct 5, 2008 10:03 AM
this was a premeditated attack. the fact that she was drunk & avoided signing in makes that obvious. she was angry that her kid wasn't liked and beat some poor woman over it. this is the behavior of someone with a very low IQ.

by Marcus	Oct 5, 2008 9:54 AM
Let me understand this. Bumping into a police officer is a class 3 FELONY. But Beating a woman in the head so much that it causes as the police report states "serious head and facial swelling", bloodied face and all, she has to be taken to the hospital. But this is only a MISDEMEANOR! What a sick, pathetic country this is!

by Lisa	Oct 3, 2008 6:35 PM
Scott Weaver has said, "I enjoy working in a community where the parents are very involved, very educated." Maybe now less educated, busy working parents are starting to look a lot better to him.

by Dave	Oct 3, 2008 6:34 PM
"Urinating on the hallway floor" Wow, someone should save the article and give it to her kid later in life when she can use it "At least I didnt pee on the floor!". What a great mother, family must be so proud!

by Mary	Oct 3, 2008 6:26 PM
I agree with the question of the DUI. Perhaps she's a police officer? (Remember the story last week 'bout the cops speeding and drunk - no charges...)

by joetampa	Oct 2, 2008 7:14 PM
It's not so much the color of your skin, it's how you behave in public which makes people tend to dislike you.

by Ridiculous	Oct 2, 2008 3:55 PM
"She called me a name so I punched her." Don't we teach toddler's that this is bad behavior. I guess since she used profanity against the officer's they should be allowed to punch her in the face!I can't wait to see what her little boy grows up into

by Brian	Oct 2, 2008 10:40 AM
Anyone who escalates to violence from words is an idiot.

by Jay	Oct 2, 2008 9:23 AM
DCF should look into this mother.

by Stacy	Oct 2, 2008 9:23 AM
School Secure?? If she walked on campus without signing in rght through the office and did this, then your school isn't secure.

by David	Oct 2, 2008 9:23 AM
This woman is a piece of work. Clearly she lags behind on the evolutionary chart. Gotta love how she plays the race card after behaving the way she did. She's my poster child -- for forced sterilization! Hopefully she won't have any more kids

by MEM	Oct 2, 2008 9:22 AM
What are these helicopter parents doing in the schools anyway. Maybe their kids could develop a few social skills if they were allowed to eat lunch without their hovering mommies every day.

by Anne	Oct 2, 2008 9:22 AM
Good Call on the DUI- should be interesting to see why they didnt charge her with that as well

by suzanne	Oct 2, 2008 9:22 AM
What is this world coming to?? Leting our children seeing two parents having a fistfit right in front of them what was those two aqdults thinking of.

by Chip	Oct 1, 2008 5:00 PM
Great. You have a pathetic excuse for a mother, a weasel defense attorney and presto...a fabricated story of a racial slur that can never be substantiated. Play the race card and act righteously indignant. Forget about any laws being broken.

by Kevin	Oct 1, 2008 2:51 PM
Why wasn't she charged with driving to the school while intoxicated?

by GREG	Oct 1, 2008 2:43 PM
There is more to this story then what being printed.

by John	Oct 1, 2008 2:08 PM
What a discrace - enough with the race card!

by JAE	Oct 1, 2008 9:48 AM
These ex-Buc ex-wives are a danger to the community. Setting fires and fighting at schools. Very nice behavior. The players should take these women with them when they leave.

by Bob	Oct 1, 2008 9:48 AM
Reginene H. Legette is a pathetic and a poor example of a mother, citizen and role model for children. Her alledged allegations are a perfect example of what is wrong with our society who act like this person did in front of innocent children.

by Charlie	Oct 1, 2008 9:48 AM
Urinating in the hallway? Wouldn't that also require her to expose herself in public? Or did she just pee in her pants with excitement at being arrested?

by Tim	Oct 1, 2008 9:47 AM
What a surprise..she shows up durnk at an elementary school, starts a fight and then drops the race excuse. Very typical. What a great role model for her child. I am sure she will make it a race issue when her child behaves the same way later in life

by Janet	Oct 1, 2008 9:47 AM
When does the race war begin? It looks like some have already started.

by JR	Oct 1, 2008 9:47 AM
Yup, leave it up to a lawyer!By the time he gets through with his "client's" story,somebody will have dragged her into the school, put the wine bottle in her purse, and the lady that was struck, well her face ran into his clients hand!

by tricia	Oct 1, 2008 9:47 AM
mommy dearest