LPF Condemns Volusia County Sheriff’s Public Shaming of Children as Unconstitutional

Law enforcement exists to protect rights, not violate them under the guise of public safety. Yet again, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has crossed that line, this time by publicly shaming and broadcasting the arrest of a DeLand Middle School student, Ta'Nerriah Ward, for making online statements that, while inappropriate, posed no imminent threat.

Ms. Ward did not bring a firearm to school or harm anyone. Her words, like those of other students publicly paraded by the sheriff in recent years, may have been reckless or immature; but they were still speech, not violence. The First Amendment protects that distinction, and due process demands that children not be tried in the court of public opinion before any evidence is weighed or verdict rendered.

Turning a child’s mistake into a media spectacle is not law enforcement, it’s political theater. It serves only to aggrandize those in power while destroying the lives of the powerless. Such acts chill free expression, erode public trust, and mock the very principles our justice system is supposed to uphold.

The Libertarian Party of Florida condemns this repeated pattern of public humiliation without due process. We stand firmly against the weaponization of law enforcement for publicity or political gain. Real justice is measured in fairness, restraint, and humanity; not in press conferences or viral videos.

Liberty demands better.

Matt Johnson
Chair, Libertarian Party of Florida