A Florida mother is facing felony charges after allegedly threatening to blow up her daughter’s high school during an argument about a confiscated school lunch.
According to police, 40-year-old Brandie Covington of Rockledge was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 21, after she allegedly called Rockledge High School and told a cafeteria worker she would “blow that… school up.” The threat, investigators said, came after Covington learned that her daughter’s boyfriend had his school-supplied lunch taken away because his account had no remaining funds.
An arrest affidavit obtained from the Brevard County Clerk’s Office describes a series of heated calls between Covington and school staff. Police said the cafeteria worker who received the call reported that Covington was “irate,” yelling and cursing as she argued about the school’s lunch policy. When the worker tried to explain that the cafeteria followed a district policy regarding unpaid accounts, Covington allegedly interrupted and made the threat before abruptly hanging up.
School officials immediately contacted the Rockledge Police Department, and a school resource officer relayed the report to responding officers. Police later visited Covington’s home, where they said she admitted to being angry but denied making any threats. “She acknowledged she was ‘pissed,’” the report reads, “as she had called last week and was told someone from the school would call her back, but never did.”
Authorities charged Covington with threatening to throw, project, place, or discharge a destructive device — a second-degree felony in Florida that carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000.
Covington was taken into custody and booked at the Brevard County Jail Complex before being released Thursday, Oct. 23, on a $75,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 18.
In a brief statement, Rockledge Police emphasized that no explosive devices were found and that there was no active danger to students or staff. “We take all threats against schools seriously,” the department said. “Even when a threat is made out of anger, it can have severe consequences.”
The incident comes amid growing frustration nationwide over school lunch debt policies, which vary by district but often leave cafeteria workers in difficult positions. In many cases, schools have been criticized for “lunch shaming” — taking away meals or providing cheaper alternatives to students who owe money — a practice that has prompted heated community debates.
Covington’s case, though extreme, highlights how those tensions can boil over. Rockledge High School, located about 50 miles east of Orlando, did not respond to questions about whether its policy would change following the incident.
Neighbors described Covington as a devoted parent who “probably just lost her temper,” while others expressed concern about threats against schools, no matter the context. “Everyone’s on edge these days,” said one parent whose child attends Rockledge High. “But you can’t joke about violence, especially when kids are involved.”
Covington’s attorney has not yet commented publicly on the case.
If convicted, she could face years behind bars — all over what appears to have started as a dispute about a school lunch.
