Columbia woman charged for telling daughter to fight

A Columbia woman was charged on Friday after she allegedly encouraged her daughter to fight a middle school student.

The incident happened in December 2017. According to court documents, officers were investigating an assault between two students at Smithton Middle School. Tawanna D. Lambert was walking out of the school office with her daughter, who was involved in the assault.

As Lambert was walking toward the door, her daughter pointed out the other girl involved in the assault. Lambert allegedly yelled, “You better get your licks in,” to her daughter, according to court documents.

Her daughter then ran at the other girl, attempting to fight her when school officials were able to intervene and stop the fight, the court documents said. Lambert and her daughter were escorted out of the building.

The prosecutor assigned to the case would not comment on why the charges were filed nearly a year after the incident occurred.

Lambert is charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

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