Special-needs kids ‘left unattended’ at a Hamilton elementary school

The parents of two Hamilton elementary students have pulled their special-needs kids out of school for safety after they were left unattended during recess in separate incidents on the same day.

The kids, both supported by an educational assistant (EA), went missing at R.A. Riddell Elementary School - near Garth Street and the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway - in the morning and afternoon on Thursday during the first week of school.

The only thing that they told us that day is that he lost his glasses," said mother Lindsay Bussey of her son, DeVaughn. Friday evening was the first time we received information that ... not only were his glasses lost, but he was lost."

She also learned a second child went missing the same day at the Cranbrook Drive school, and later connected with her parents.

In a statement, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) spokesperson Rob Faulkner confirmed that two students were briefly left unattended."

Thankfully, both students were found," he said. This incident caused serious concern and we are investigating to learn more."

Bussey said she was told the supervising EA got distracted" while kids were playing outside during recess and later realized DeVaughn, 7, was nowhere to be found."

Approximately six teachers were called to look outside for him and approximately 15 to 20 minutes later, he was found," she said.

Bussey's child is a flight risk" - something she says she drilled" into staff ahead of the new school year - but he moves slowly due to balance and mobility issues. She estimates it would have taken him about 10 minutes to make his way from the playground area to the teachers' parking lot where he was found.

Our family is very upset," she said.

Michelle Clarkson, the parent of the five-year-old who was lost in the morning, said her daughter isn't a runner," and wouldn't have left on her own.

She was forgotten outside after recess," she said. Who knows how long she was out there for by herself."

Faulkner said a search immediately began as soon as staff determined the students were missing." But Clarkson's daughter told her she stood by the basketball net and waited" until another student, not a staff person, brought her inside. Her daughter was left by the stairs, which Clarkson said makes sense, as most first-grade classes are on the second floor. Due to student mobility issues, her daughter's classroom is on the main floor.

Meanwhile, school staff gave Clarkson a different version of events. They said her daughter wandered off" during class and walked across the hallway to the stairs."

Clarkson said her daughter wouldn't have gone to the stairwell on her own because of mobility issues.

Both parents say an EA - one in the morning and another in the afternoon - oversees three special-needs students in the Grade 1/2 split class.

Clarkson said a solution staff offered was to put special-needs kids in the pen," the word staff used to describe a fenced-in playground, which would segregate them from their peers. She doesn't feel she should have to choose safety over inclusivity."

We have directly reached out to these families, so they know what happened," Faulkner said. We can imagine how upset and worried they must be. We are working closely with them to restore their trust.

Both parents say the school communicated neither clearly nor in a timely manner what happened to their kids.

The board did not say whether staff were disciplined or any other specific action was taken.

This is an opportunity to reflect on our school policies and procedures and prevent similar occurrences in the future," Faulkner said.

The parents have other concerns, too.

Clarkson said her daughter came home one day with an uneaten lunch. On another occasion, a six-year-old student in the class told the parent she helped her daughter go to the bathroom. Clarkson's daughter doesn't eat or use the toilet by herself, which is why she needs a designated adult to help her at school.

Bussey said her son has displayed new behaviour since the start of school, including hitting himself while saying bad boy."

Both families say they are meeting with the board to determine next steps. Clarkson said she has no intention of sending her daughter back to Riddell.

She doesn't understand danger," Clarkson said. She could have gone with anybody ... and she would have accepted that they were there for her to help her."

Kate McCullough is an education reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com