Ohio woman Jessica Smallwood sent to prison for school outburst

An Ohio mom has been sentenced to more than a year in prison for assaulting a teacher, a principal and cafeteria worker at her son's school after being told she needed a visitor's badge to see him.

Jessica Smallwood, 25, from Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 14 months on Tuesday after she pleaded guilty to three counts of assault that were felonies because they involved educators.

Smallwood had gone to Glover Elementary School on February 21 to escort her seven-year-old son - who had had trouble with bullies in the past - to breakfast, The Akron Beacon Joual reported.

But when she entered the cafeteria, she was approached by Principal Nancy Ritch, who told her she needed a visitor's badge to be there.

She became annoyed and started arguing with Ritch and a teacher. She cursed at them before pushing the teacher and knocking the principal to the ground, police said.

She then hit a cafeteria worker who had intervened, police said.

During the incident - which her seven-year-old special needs son witnessed - the elementary school was placed on lockdown. The boy also saw his mother being led away in handcuffs by police.

The principal suffered head injuries in the melee and was treated by paramedics at the scene.

Smallwood's sister, Jennifer Smallwood, told the Beacon Joual after the incident that it didn't add up because the mother is a well-known parent who walked her son to his classroom every day.