An Ohio dad was arrested after repeatedly calling a school — and then the police — to complain about his child's homework, police say.
Detective Sergeant Adam Price of the Oxford Police Department tells TODAY.com that Adam Sizemore called the police approximately “18 or 19 times” in less than an hour.
"It was disruptive," says Price, adding, “This is a a K-5 school so there is not an abnormal amount of homework."
Sizemore tells TODAY.com in a voicemail that "most" of the accusations aren't true.
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"I'm a single dad of a boy and a girl and I'm just trying to do the best I can and that's all I can do," Sizemore says. "People make mistakes."
According to a police report sent to TODAY.com by the Oxford Police Department, on Feb. 29, Adam Sizemore “repeatedly” called Kramer Elementary School in Oxford “because his son gets homework which takes away from the time he has with him after school.”
Sizemore was trying to reach Principal Jason Merz, who was unavailable, according to the police report. After Sizemore was transferred to Merz's voicemail, the report says he started calling the school repeatedly.
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"During these conversations, Sizemore cursed at the secretaries while making demands of them," the police report states.
According to the police report, a school resource officer spoke to Sizemore “several times" on the phone, instructing him to stop calling.
The officer said that he noted that Sizemore's speech was slurred, asked Sizemore if he was intoxicated and Sizemore clarified that he was “high.”
That officer wrote in the police report: "Sizemore continued to curse at me and call me names, such as 'B****,' He also told me he was going to make sure I lost my job. I explained to Sizemore if (he) called again, I would file a Telecommunication Harassment charge on him. I ended up hanging up on him. Sizemore called right back with the same behavior he was warned about."
Two officers paid a visit to Sizemore’s home but he did not answer the door, according to the report. When one officer returned to school, Sizemore was still calling.
The report stated that Sizemore eventually spoke to Merz, stating he did not want his son to have homework and started cursing at him; Merz ended the call.
On March 1, Sizemore resumed calling Kramer Elementary School, according to the police report. Principal Merz told police that Sizemore said in a voicemail: “I hoped that you (Merz) put on your big boy britches on today and have a conversation like a big boy.” Merz told police that he was concerned that Sizemore would come to the school.
That day, Sizemore placed approximately 18 or 19 calls to the Oxford Police Station, Price tells TODAY.com.
"This is Adam Sizemore," a man identified by police as Sizemore said in a voicemail audio file sent to TODAY.com by the Oxford Police Department: "You've got a little bit of an a** chewing coming because of your employees — the ones I pay for — so if you could call me back ..."
The father continued calling the police, in an attempt to reach the chief, and was transferred to the chief's voicemail, according to police.
In body camera footage sent to TODAY.com by the Oxford Police Department, Sizemore is placed under arrest outside his home.
Price tells TODAY.com that Sizemore was charged with two counts of telecommunications harassment (a first-degree misdemeanor) and one count of menacing (a fourth-degree misdemeanor).
According to Price, if Sizemore is found guilty, he faces a maximum $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail for each count of telecommunications harassment; for the menacing charge, Sizemore faces a $250 fine and up to 30 days in jail.
After his arrest, Sizemore was taken to the Butler County Jail. Price says Sizemore is no longer in custody, although he could not confirm whether Sizemore made bond or was released by a judge. Sizemore's next court date is March 28.
A spokesperson for the Talawanda School District tells TODAY.com it has no additional information beyond what's in the police report.
The spokesperson adds, "I will share that we have received similar calls and messages to those received by the Oxford Police Department, to both our superintendent and the principal at Kramer Elementary."
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
