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Second grader roamed streets for hours after teacher locked her out of class

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  • Second grader roamed streets for hours after teacher locked her out of class

    An angry mother and father in a suburb of Sacramento are suing the Natomas Unified School District after their emotionally distraught seven-year-old daughter was left completely unattended and went wandering around town all by herself in the middle of a Wednesday school day.

    The incident began to unfold around 9 a.m. on Dec. 18 at Jefferson Elementary School in Natomas, Calif, reports KTXL

    Jason Dillard said that his second-grade daughter, Samaya, had spilled some water in class. The teacher, Lupe Rodriguez, was frustrated about it. In response, Dillard said, Rodriguez dragged the seven-year-old girl out of class as she was sitting in her chair.

    The lawsuit describes Rodriguez’s behavior as “a fit of frightening rage,” notes The Sacramento Bee.

    Rodriguez allegedly left the girl outside the class for quite awhile until she eventually wandered down the hall, out the door and off school grounds.

    “When I finally got the call from the school, it was 11:30,” said Dillard. “So when I get to the school and I say, ‘When was the last time you saw my child,’ and they say, ’9:30,’ I’m thinking, ‘Okay, this girl might not ever come back.’”

    Meanwhile, Samaya had quite an adventure. She moseyed down a busy road. She traipsed over an interstate over pass at one point, crossing freeway entrance and exit ramps. She then kept walking, for about two miles altogether.

    She stopped into a Walmart. She eventually ambled into an On the Border fast-casual restaurant and asked for a cup of water. Employees at On the Border contacted police and asked for an officer to come to the restaurant to make sure the girl was okay. The police refused, apparently believing that a seven-year-old girl walking around with no adult supervision in the middle of a school day is nothing to be alarmed about.

    Video footage from both the Walmart and the On the Border restaurant shows that she was there.

    The second grader then turned around and wandered back the way she came.

    The girl’s likely frantic father was the one who found her. She was walking around the family’s neighborhood.

    Samaya’s mother, Damia Dillard, said the event was traumatizing for her daughter.

    I wear a Fez. Fez-es are cool

  • #2
    Ho.....ly..... Shit!!!!

    Comment


    • #3
      Seven-year-old Samaya Dillard wandered across major intersections, over a freeway and through a Natomas shopping center parking lot on a cold December day while her classmates at Jefferson Elementary School sharpened their reading skills.

      Her parents say that more than an hour passed before school officials realized the second-grader was missing. Another hour went by before Jefferson administrators notified Samaya’s parents and the police.

      “You were imagining all the different things that could happen,” said Jason Dillard, Samaya’s father. “We can’t allow that to happen again. Not just with my child, with anybody’s child.”

      Jason and Damia Dillard filed claims with the Natomas Unified School District last month for unspecified damages, a precursor to a lawsuit, alleging severe emotional trauma and distress to Samaya, her two siblings and themselves.

      Jason Dillard said the incident on Dec. 18 was the culmination of months of conflict between Samaya and her teacher, Lupe Rodriguez. The couple previously met with Rodriguez and suggested ways to engage their daughter. The Dillards said that Samaya was an honor roll student at St. Hope Public School 7 – a Sacramento charter school – before moving to Jefferson Elementary School in South Natomas.

      Rodriguez initially gave Samaya a warning after a minor disagreement with another child, according to her parents. Then, after Samaya accidentally knocked over a glass of water, Rodriguez punished Samaya by dragging her and her chair outside “in a fit of frightening rage,” the claim contends.

      Rodriguez could not be reached for comment.

      The teacher pulled Samaya out of her classroom at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 18, her parents said. She was wearing a pink and gray sweat shirt and blue jeans, but did not have a jacket. It was 46 degrees at that time, according to the National Weather Service.

      Samaya sat outside through recess and the beginning of her reading class, her parents said. Eventually, she headed out the nearby gate.

      After Samaya had been missing for more than an hour, school officials began calling for her over the public address system, while staff looked for the child, according to the complaint.

      Natomas Unified officials confirmed that someone “connected” with the claim is on administrative leave, but they would not name the employee.

      “The district currently is reviewing the claim,” the district said in a prepared statement. “We cannot comment on its allegations or the parties involved because it is a pending legal matter, and because it involves a minor and a personnel issue. We can only say that we care deeply about all children in Natomas Unified School District, we take any allegation seriously, and we are firmly committed to the safety of our students and the best interests of the community we serve.”

      When finally notified, the Dillards hurried to the campus, took their two older daughters out of class at a nearby school and drove off in separate cars looking for Samaya.

      Samaya later indicated that in the 2 1/2 hours beforehand, she had walked along Truxel Road over Interstate 80, visited Walmart and On The Border Mexican Grill and Cantina, almost 2 miles from her school. Video footage from the restaurant and store confirm her visit, said the parents.

      A manager at On The Border later told the Dillards he offered Samaya a glass of water and called the police, but that they declined to respond. The manager could not be reached by The Sacramento Bee for an interview, but police confirm that a call from a number associated with the restaurant came in at 11:07 a.m. Dec. 18.

      The dispatcher was told that a 12-year-old child was in front of the restaurant with no parent in sight, said Officer Michele Gigante, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Police Department. The dispatcher asked a number of questions about the child’s demeanor and determined she was not in distress, Gigante said.

      The police had not yet received any calls about a missing child and were not aware the child was only 7 years old, she said.

      “What does it take for the police to respond?” Damia Dillard said. “They will pull you over for no reason but they won’t check on a little girl. She deserves better than that response.”

      After her visit to the restaurant, Samaya reportedly drank her water, turned around and headed back the way she came. Jason Dillard found her walking through their neighborhood.

      A review of Natomas district policy shows many remedies for alleged misconduct, including disruption of school activities, but none include putting a child outside unsupervised. Other remedies include detention, parent conference and possible suspension.

      The Dillards plan to file a lawsuit against the school district if the claim is rejected, said Omar Krasna, the family’s attorney. Jason Dillard also has filed a police report alleging that Samaya’s teacher committed battery by dragging Samaya – seated in her chair – outside into the cold and leaving her there.

      The Dillards say that Samaya is now seeing a counselor twice a week and has been enrolled in a different school in the district.

      I wear a Fez. Fez-es are cool

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      • #4
        People would die.....

        Comment


        • #5
          We got set out in the hall all the time in elementary school, I think the lack of police responding to On The Border is more disturbing then the teacher putting her out in the hall and the kid wondering off.

          Comment


          • #6
            The teacher dragging her out while she was still in her chair says everything. That lady should not be teaching. And the police ignoring the call? wtf?!

            I've got mixed feelings on the wandering around. When I was that age I was walking home from school every day, about a mile or a little more. But I also lived in a town with only 10k people and all the walking was through residential neighborhoods. I did get attacked by a dog once and it turned into a quasi big deal. Luckily it was just a little yappy shithead dog so it didn't do much more than break the skin on my ankle, like if Don attacked me. I would regularly walk or ride my bike half a mile to the Alsup's to play Donkey Kong or get some Cherry Sours.

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            • #7
              My teacher at John Haley in Irving locked me in the file cabinet room located in the front office for the better part of a year after I kept misspelling words...

              I actually do not remember anything from second grade except the file cabinet room and the nurse bringing me ritalin (spelling?) everyday. I don’t even remember the classroom or what it looked like. Every morning, a little girl would show up, bring me some worksheets and leave. Then at lunch, someone would bring me food and the nurse would drop my pill off...other than that, not much happened.

              Hell, I just threw the work away in the trash and sat there most of the day, not sure how I passed


              Though, I am sure I would be LIVID if someone did not call me IMMEDIATLY if my child were to go missing. The staff at OTB was concerned enough, dont you think the police should go ahead and do a welfare check on the little girl?
              Originally posted by Sean88gt
              You can take white off the list. White on anything is the best, including vehicles, women, and the Presidency.
              Originally posted by Baron Von Crowder
              You can not imagine how difficult it is to hold a half gallon of moo juice and polish the one-eyed gopher when your doin' seventy-five in an eighteen-wheeler.

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              • #8
                The whole dragging thing might be exaggerated considering the family is wanting to sue. I definetly would be pissed and raise hell and probably enroll my kid in a different school.

                One of the issues I see here is the kid wandering off. IMO, it shows disobedience toward teachers and elders. She knew she was in trouble and bailed the scene. Another issue is her having access to open doors. I'm pretty sure most schools lock the doors to prevent people from going in, but I'm not sure if it prevents kids from going out (Obviously not). There should be some sort of alarm or security guy looking for this type of stuff.

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                • #9
                  I live in Natomas, and that's quite a trek for a second grader. The business park with the Walmart, Pet Smart, Home Depot, etc. is unsafe enough, but the fact that she went over highway 80 to get there is nuts.

                  That teacher should be fired immediately.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I wonder if the police department had gotten any other calls. I mean how many people might have just thought "I don't want to get involved". My wife and I helped a little 3 yo boy back home when we wandered off one time. Fortunately it was in the country and it was obvious where he came from, but he had wandered a long way from the house and near the main road. The mother was in tears thanking us. They had just had a loss in the family and were not fully thinking I guess.

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                    • #11
                      I agree with what everyone else has said but one area I disagree with is that the kid is 'traumatized'. Seriously? I get that the teacher was a bitch and should be fired, but no one forced the kid to go on her little adventure. I remember when I was 7, I lived out in the country and I'd be gone for a lot longer than she would. Granted she lives in a city and it's different, but still, "traumatized"? Give me a fucking break.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Chuck_Finley View Post
                        I agree with what everyone else has said but one area I disagree with is that the kid is 'traumatized'. Seriously? I get that the teacher was a bitch and should be fired, but no one forced the kid to go on her little adventure. I remember when I was 7, I lived out in the country and I'd be gone for a lot longer than she would. Granted she lives in a city and it's different, but still, "traumatized"? Give me a fucking break.
                        Probably one of those kids that deserved to have her backside "traumatized" before it ever got to this point. I am not excusing the teacher, but I kinda wonder how much bull the teacher put up with before escalating this far.

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                        • #13
                          No way was the kid traumatized. And this probably won't be the popular opinion here, but a lot of blame (if not all) falls on the parents here. My kids know better than to walk out the front door of any place without a parent or adult supervision. Schools can keep people out, but due to fire safety reasons, it's illegal to lock people (students) in. Due to that, if you don't teach your children this, YOU failed, not the school.

                          What will be interesting is the two hour gap between the incident and the phone call. I'm curious to know if it took the school that long to notice, or if the school just waiting that long to call after conducting a search, or if the teacher took that long to notify the front office. And the police refusing to respond is total horseshit. They should be named in the lawsuit more so than the school, IMO.
                          Originally posted by BradM
                          But, just like condoms and women's rights, I don't believe in them.
                          Originally posted by Leah
                          In other news: Brent's meat melts in your mouth.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by bcoop View Post
                            No way was the kid traumatized. And this probably won't be the popular opinion here, but a lot of blame (if not all) falls on the parents here. My kids know better than to walk out the front door of any place without a parent or adult supervision. Schools can keep people out, but due to fire safety reasons, it's illegal to lock people (students) in. Due to that, if you don't teach your children this, YOU failed, not the school.
                            This 100%. My daughter wouldn't dare do such a thing....

                            But - the school also fucked up by not keeping checks and balances on kids, who is going in and out of the school, etc.

                            The restaurant really fucked up by letting the kid leave and not insisting the police come because 7yr olds don't just walk in restaurants by themselves....

                            And the biggest fuckup of all was by the police.

                            <-- would beat his kid's ass as well.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by bcoop View Post
                              They should be named in the lawsuit more so than the school, IMO.
                              Why is there a even a lawsuit? Everybody automatically thinks that "they gon git paid."

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