Florida teen forced to hold embarassing 'I lied' sign at busy intersection as punishment, sparks fierce parenting debate
A busy intersection at Cape Coral Florida on Friday saw a teenage girl holding a sign that read, "I lied. I humiliated my mother and myself." This was the punishment that the teenager's mother had used in lieu of her transgressions.
A video of the girl along with a woman who is believed to be the girl's mother, who is holding on to her, was posted on Facebook by an onlooker Ashley Domonique Atty.
Atty captioned the video, "On our way home we witnessed parenting at its finest 'I lied. I humiliated myself & my mother' #lieagainlilgirl #mamadontplay." However, this video sparked a debate about parenting and many posted concerns about the teenager's welfare.
Atty also wrote, "She's lucky… in my house, she would have gotten the belt. Leave these parents alone—nothing wrong with what they are doing more than if she would have been crossing the street."
According to a report in Newsweek, resident Randy Miller told WBBH, "You don't place them in a dangerous spot like that in order to get some satisfaction out of what they did to you."
Some were even concerned enough to call the authorities about the incident. "How many times have we heard already in the last couple of months that kids are getting hit and killed, even an adult? You would've lost your kid for something—trying to prove a point when, in my opinion, there are much better ways to do so," said a woman who called the police but wanted to remain anonymous.
The police did not respond to questions of this being a traffic hazard, but they did note that the girl had access to water throughout the day and considered the situation fine.
The teenager's stepfather spoke about the incident and explained that the girl was given a choice between going public about her transgressions or being grounded the entire summer and this was the option she chose.
He said, " She understands, and I think she's a better person for it because she chose to do what she needed to do to get out of the problems she had caused us."