Following a series of physical assaults on her seven-year-old son Konner, including having his head shoved into a urinal one day and being punched in the face the next day, Windsor Locks mother Destiny Ferrante, her grandfather Michael, and Konner met with the North Street Elementary principal to discuss a safety plan. 

During that May 22 meeting, however, Destiny says she touched or “pushed” Principal Giovanna Testani’s hand, asking whether such contact would constitute assault, whereupon Testani left the meeting, locked them in the office, and called the police. Destiny is now banned from all school properties, events, and board of education offices indefinitely, including her daughter’s school, and now requires a police escort to get groceries from the Windsor Locks Public Schools Food Pantry at an off-site location.

A letter issued to Destiny that same day from Windsor Locks Superintendent Shawn Parkhurst informed Destiny that she was now considered a Tier III offender, meaning she engaged in “behavior that threatened safety, involved aggression, and significantly disrupted the school environment.” Tier IV involves possession of weapons and police intervention.

Destiny says that during the meeting, she asserted that her son had been assaulted, whereas Testani argued it wasn’t assault. During the back and forth, Destiny says she “leaned forward and tapped [Testani’s] hand,” asking if that constituted assault.

“It wasn’t hard, it wasn’t a slap, there’s no red mark, it wasn’t aggressive, nothing,” Destiny said in an interview. “She [Principal Testani] calmly ends the meeting, goes out of the office, we hear the door lock, and then she starts bawling, utterly, utterly bawling.”

“All Destiny did was put her hand on the principal’s and said, ‘is that considered abuse,’ and all she said was, ‘this meeting is over,’ got up, stormed out, shut the door behind her and locked it,” Destiny’s grandfather Michael Ferrante said. “I’m seventy-five years old and I was locked in a room with a seven-year-old and my granddaughter. If she had asked us to leave, we would have left.”

“We were confined in that room,” Michael continued. “They were really quick about putting in a restraining order, why didn’t they tell us we were locked in a room so that we could press charges? That’s against the law to lock anybody up.”

Attorney Allan F. Friedman says locking the family in the office could be considered second-degree unlawful restraint, unless Testani was fearful of further assault and was acting in self-defense or trying to protect the rest of the school until officers arrived. Restraint in Connecticut law is defined as intentionally, unlawfully restricting someone’s movement by confining them without consent.

“With this case it’s the lawfulness or unlawfulness of the restraint,” Friedman said. “It could become unlawful restraint if they were no longer a threat or the principal locked them in out of anger or punishment, she delayed calling the police, they were confined for an excessive time, or the room was unsafe.”

The school resource officers then arrived and informed Destiny and Michael that the principal felt unsafe and they had to leave. She was then presented with the no trespass order and the BOE’s policy on relations between the public and school personnel. 

“Volatile, hostile or aggressive actions and words cannot be tolerated and individuals who engage in these activities may face legal penalties and/or school sanctions,” BOE Policy 1316 states. It goes on to define volatile actions as “highly disruptive, aggressive or emotionally charged behaviors that create unsafe environments and often involve or impact the broader public, such as police, community members or neighbors.”

“I sat there jaw-dropped. I’m listed right below a school-shooter,” Destiny said. “We were talking calmly, there was no disruption, I really don’t understand it.”

Destiny had to keep her kids home from school for the first few days of her ban because she couldn’t drop them off or pick them up without a police escort. “I should be able to pick up my kids without feeling like a criminal,” she said. A couple of days later, Superintendent Parkhurst adjusted the no trespass order so that Destiny can do drop off, pick up, and emergencies, but she must follow “a certain procedure.”

At this point, Destiny is not allowed to attend any school events for the end of the year, and district officials have informed her that they will not work with her on restoring her permission until after the school year is over, but she is not the only parent to inadvertently run afoul of school officials and find themselves in hot water.

Guilford resident and former police officer, William Maisano, was arrested in 2023 after sending an email to the high school principal warning there would be “hell to pay,” if a gym teacher went through with dying her hair rainbow to celebrate LGBTQ pride on graduation. 

Despite police closing the case and Maisano sending a quick follow-up email clarifying he only meant “media exposure,” Maisano was arrested for the email anyway following a second complaint made days later by the teacher he was concerned about. Maisano was convicted of breach of peace in 2024 and given two years’ probation.

Lost in all this drama is Konner, whose first safety plan “failed,” according to Destiny. The Windsor Locks Safe School Climate Plan defines bullying as “an act that is direct or indirect and severe, persistent or pervasive which causes physical or emotional harm to an individual, places an individual in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm, or infringes on the rights and opportunities of an individual at school.”

During the June 9 BOE meeting, School Climate Coordinator Dr. Bissonnette presented an update of the schools’ implementation of its Challenging Behavior Policy, which aims to introduce “restorative practices,” in response to challenging behavior in an effort to reduce suspensions and referrals to law enforcement.

“Restorative approaches recognize students’ unique strengths, needs, and interests and present an opportunity for schools to develop a structure that utilizes practices that will create a more equitable path for all students,” the policy states. “Appropriate student behavior, reinforced by an effective system of discipline, is essential to creating and maintaining a positive school climate. This is the joint responsibility of students, staff, parents, and the community.”

After the first safety plan didn’t work, Destiny says she kept Konner home for “less than seven days,” until a new safety plan could be implemented. 

She says during that time she was warned by “someone from the district” that the superintendent might call the Department of Children and Families to report educational neglect, even though she was openly communicating with the school and having schoolwork sent home.

“In the emails I do cite safety concerns why he’s out, it’s not like I’m just keeping him out with no reason given,” Destiny said. “My other child goes to school, so I don’t see how neglect comes into play.”

Destiny says school officials still haven’t responded to her various questions about how she was assessed at a Tier III threat, and whether she can attend parent/teacher conferences, second-grade graduation, or summer activities. For the time being, she can’t be on any school grounds. “They’re just pushing me to the side, I feel like,” Destiny said.

Neither Superintendent Parkhurst nor Principal Testani responded to Inside Investigator’s request for comment or give their version of the incident.

“I’m a single mom, I’m his only involved parent, I’ve never missing a milestone. Nothing has happened since this all went down on that Friday. I’ve been amicable, I’ve never threatened to go up there, I’ve never screamed and yelled,” Destiny said. “I think it’s ironic that we go through all this for a hand tap but nothing for my son.”

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