A Florida man who allegedly threatened to burn down his son's faculty over its face masks mandate claimed on Thursday that his written remarks had been misunderstood.

Mark Polyakov, a 37-year-old father from Miami-Dade County, threatened over textual content that he would "burn" down his son's Jewish personal faculty, Scheck Hillel Neighborhood College, however mentioned that the phrase "burn" was misinterpreted, his legal professional Mark Eiglarsh advised Newsweek on Friday.

"If his messages had been prepared in context and of their entirety, the one conclusion an affordable particular person can attain is that he needed to get a lawyer to sue the varsity to burn it down legally, not bodily/really," Eiglarsh mentioned. "Whereas a poor selection of phrases, particularly on this delicate local weather, he did not intend to do bodily hurt and definitely did not commit a felony offense."

The daddy claimed that the varsity's mandate pissed off him and famous that a image of his four-year-old son sporting a masks at college made him upset, ABC's WPLG reported.

Polyakov's threatening message, which he wrote on February 8, was reported by one of many mother and father who began a "No Extra Masks Hillel"—a textual content message thread that was meant to object towards the varsity's masks guidelines.

His textual content message learn, "We'll go away and burn Hillel all the way down to the bottom, that is why rankings right here have steadily gone down!"

After his textual content was reported, the daddy made comparable remarks two days later and mentioned, "I simply obtained kicked out of Hillel. I'll burn this faculty down."

"I legally mentioned I need to burn the varsity within the sense of submitting a lawsuit and hiring an legal professional," Polyakov mentioned, in keeping with ABC's WPLG. He clarified that he would not intend to commit an precise crime and that he has an legal professional "making ready authorized paperwork."

Polyakov, who's now launched on bond, was arrested on Monday and charged for his threatening textual content messages. His son was additionally reportedly expelled from the varsity.

"Our college holds safety as a cornerstone of our establishment, and we take any risk very significantly and comply with all pointers, together with reporting any such threats to the police. We reported a father or mother's risk of violence towards our college and perceive that their investigation has led to an arrest," a college's spokesperson advised Newsweek on Friday.

The college could not affirm whether or not Polyakov's son was expelled from faculty, citing info privateness of scholars and oldsters.

"We've got zero tolerance for aggressive or violent language or conduct and are grateful for the help of regulation enforcement and the overwhelming assist of our households in our ongoing efforts to maintain our kids protected," the varsity added.

On Thursday, Eiglarsh claimed that his shopper's phrases had been taken out of context, saying his shopper needed to "burn them and sue them legally."

Polyakov pleaded not responsible to expenses focused at him by prosecutors who filed the case on Tuesday.

"I remorse the phrases that I used...I remorse utilizing these phrases completely however I do not remorse going after the varsity legally," Polyakov said on Thursday.

Polyakov may resist 15 years in jail or 15 years of probation and a $10,000 effective if convicted for his written threats, which is handled as a second-degree felony, in keeping with Florida's sentencing pointers. His subsequent listening to is scheduled on March 16 earlier than Miami Circuit Decide Richard Hersch, in keeping with his legal professional.

Eiglarsh mentioned that he's "cautiously optimistic that the felony cost, presently subjecting him to as much as 15 years in jail, can be dropped."

He additionally confirmed that Polyakov plans to file a lawsuit towards the varsity.

Dad clarifies his threats against school
Mark Polyakov, a 37-year-old father in Florida, has threatened to "burn" down his son's faculty over masks mandates, however now says the phrases he used had been taken out of context. Above, an indication on the fence outdoors of Lowell elementary faculty asks college students, employees and guests to put on a masks to stop the unfold of COVID-19 on January 5 in Chicago. Photograph by Scott Olson/Getty Photos

Outrage over face masks mandates in faculties have been reported throughout the nation. In August faculty mother and father attended a board of training assembly in Tennessee with out sporting face masks claiming that they need to determine whether or not their kids ought to masks up or not.

In Michigan, faculty mother and father in September inspired college students to defy their faculty's masks mandates and enter their lecture rooms with out the face coverings.

Most faculty districts nationwide have not too long ago relaxed their masks mandates because the nation copes with the pandemic and COVID instances subsides. Earlier this month, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon had been among the many states that introduced plans to take away masks mandates in faculties by the tip of February or March.

Replace: 2/18/22 6:13 P.M.: This story has been up to date to incorporate further info and feedback from the varsity and Polyakov's legal professional.