Conway School Blamed For Letting 5-Year-Old Wander Off Campus After School
By: Josh Berry
Updated: September 29, 2012
A Conway man is planning to pull his children out of their elementary school after he said his five year old, special needs child, was allowed just to walk off campus after school.
He had gone to pick up his twin special needs 5 year olds after school. When he got there however, only one came to the car despite paperwork that apparently said both of his boys are supposed to ride home.
It was like one of many parents worst nightmares all unfolding right before Ernest Hooten's eyes Friday (9/28). He didn't know where his child was.
He was all set with his car rider signs to pick up his two boys from Conway's Theodor Jones Elementary. Only one of them was there.
"I asked her 'where's my son?' She's like well he walked home," Hooten recounted the immediate conversation he had with the school principal.
Panic and fear started to set in, only to turn to anger when he said he found out the school let his boy walk away.
"That's my kid," Hooten said. "I got every reason to be mad because you let my child walk off from this campus."
A call came in that a student was found wandering around near baseball fields a few hundred yards away from the school, asking people how to get home. It was his son.
"Who's to say there's not a child molester an abductor or a freaking psychopath sitting over there watching these kids."
Hooten said his complaints fell on deaf ears at the school, so he took them to the Superintendents office. There he said he got more cold shoulders.
"Basically the same thing they said. Well it's not their fault. We're going to look into it though," Hooten repeated.
We tried to get in touch with school and district administration but they weren't available over the weekend.
Hooten said he's determined to get answers and hold someone accountable.
"They dropped the ball on this."
For the time being he said he's taking his children to another nearby school district where he claims he raised his 6 other children and never had a problem.
He had gone to pick up his twin special needs 5 year olds after school. When he got there however, only one came to the car despite paperwork that apparently said both of his boys are supposed to ride home.
It was like one of many parents worst nightmares all unfolding right before Ernest Hooten's eyes Friday (9/28). He didn't know where his child was.
He was all set with his car rider signs to pick up his two boys from Conway's Theodor Jones Elementary. Only one of them was there.
"I asked her 'where's my son?' She's like well he walked home," Hooten recounted the immediate conversation he had with the school principal.
Panic and fear started to set in, only to turn to anger when he said he found out the school let his boy walk away.
"That's my kid," Hooten said. "I got every reason to be mad because you let my child walk off from this campus."
A call came in that a student was found wandering around near baseball fields a few hundred yards away from the school, asking people how to get home. It was his son.
"Who's to say there's not a child molester an abductor or a freaking psychopath sitting over there watching these kids."
Hooten said his complaints fell on deaf ears at the school, so he took them to the Superintendents office. There he said he got more cold shoulders.
"Basically the same thing they said. Well it's not their fault. We're going to look into it though," Hooten repeated.
We tried to get in touch with school and district administration but they weren't available over the weekend.
Hooten said he's determined to get answers and hold someone accountable.
"They dropped the ball on this."
For the time being he said he's taking his children to another nearby school district where he claims he raised his 6 other children and never had a problem.
Comments
I live a few miles from this school and a few weeks ago I found a little boy walking down Lower Ridge Rd between a fence and the rd which only gave him about 2.5ft of space to walk beside passing cars. He was crying and screaming with arms flailing so we stopped to check on him. It was his first day at Theodore Jones and the bus driver made him get off of the bus in the wrong place. He was scared to death. He had a piece of paper with the schools name so we drove him back there. Luckily, the counselor came to let us in the locked door since it was 4:30. (kids used to get off the bus in the area at 3:30). He had been walking for a long time. So sad our children aren't cared for more by the people we are supposed to trust. I'm so happy I was placed in this child's path and not a child predator. This could've ended badly.
amber w.
October 1, 2012 at 7:04 am
Ali P.
September 30, 2012 at 10:42 am
@Dorotheen-did you bother to READ this story or just skim it? "He was all set with his car rider signs to pick up his two boys from Conway's Theodor Jones Elementary. Only one of them was there", I believe he WAS there when they got out of school, however in Conway we have to wait in a line in our cars, and if he is under the impression, as we all are in Conway, they teachers on duty are the ones that come up and ask which child we are picking up and then they bring them to the cars.
Ali P.
September 30, 2012 at 10:40 am
two 5 year olds who have special needs and 6 other children? Maybe he should be there when the kids get out of school, not later.
Dorotheen S.
September 30, 2012 at 9:25 am
