LAFAYETTE, IN — In the daylong search for an Earhart Elementary student on Friday, social media played a large role in finding the missing 9-year-old boy.
But as word spread of his disappearance, so did accusations as to who was responsible for his disappearance.
Lafayette School Corp. administrators offered a timeline of events leading up to boy’s disappearance after being sent home from school. LSC said in a news release Monday that the student had previously been instructed not to attend school on Friday because of his ineligibility to participate in a class field trip.
The boy’s parents had been notified through the school’s online messaging system of his ineligibility and requirement to stay home that day, the release said. A note had also been sent home with the boy, but he forgot to take it home.
About 8:30 a.m., the boy reported to Earhart Elementary, the release said. Earhart Principal Ryan Habben spoke to the 9-year-old, who routinely walks to and from school, to ask whether he could walk home, the release said. The student told Habben he could.
By about 8:33 a.m., the school’s secretary called the student’s parents to notify them that the boy was on his way back home, the release said. But by 9 a.m., a parent notified the school that he had not made it home.
LSC Superintendent Les Huddle said Monday the child’s parent was home at the time he was sent home. Huddle said the school is still working to confirm that the boy’s parents were notified through the school’s communication system, ClassDojo, that he was not to have attended school on Friday.
“I’m not sure how it was worded or if it was misinterpreted somehow, but LSC is continuing our investigation,” Huddle said. “We are working to see what we can do better next time, and to see if we messed up our communication in the process.”
In the event that a student is sent home, Huddle said administrators will contact a parent or an emergency contact listed for the student to ensure a parent is home and gives the student permission to walk home. According to LSC policy, students who live within 1.5 miles of the school are expected to walk to their respective school.
By 9:15 a.m. Friday, Lafayette police were notified that the student was missing, Lafayette Police Sgt. Matthew Santerre said.
In a Facebook post Lafayette police made at 10:14 a.m. requesting the public’s assistance in finding the missing boy, LPD said the child’s parents had dropped him off with a school crossing guard about 8:25 a.m., but “school turned him away because he wasn’t supposed to be on the field trip today.”
As the search went on, the Facebook post was later edited to remove the information pertaining to the school.
“We wanted people to have their efforts focused on finding the child,” Santerre said of the altered Facebook post. “Generally, missing juvenile posts are simple and contain demographic info, a photo, and relevant information like last-seen area.”
When asked whether the decision to remove the information may have skewed the public’s focus in the search for the missing student, Santerre did not respond.
Throughout the day, LPD worked with school resource officers and “assisting personnel” to conduct searches throughout the Lafayette area, Santerre said. By 2:40 p.m., Indiana State Police formally issued a Silver Alert.
Santerre said about 7:11 p.m., the 9-year-old was found in the Southland Drive area by a community volunteer. The boy was then reunited with his family and checked by medical personnel on the scene.
Huddle said LSC administrators are analyzing its policies for future incidents, where a student may not be able to participate in a class-wide event or is asked to stay home.
“We want to provide the student with some form of a learning opportunity in those situations,” Huddle said. “If a student has arrived and is in our possession, we should make sure the student remains safe and is safe until they can be with a parent or guardian.”
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette school’s actions questioned after missing 9-year-old found
Reporting by Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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