Police, TDSB investigate after 5-year-old put in storage closet
Posted April 3, 2019 5:27 pm.
Last Updated April 3, 2019 11:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Toronto District School Board says reports of a kindergarten child being put in a storage closet as a form of discipline is “troubling” and “completely unacceptable.”
TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird tells CityNews Toronto police were notified after school administrators at Essex Jr. and Sr. Public School were told by students about the incident, which allegedly occurred two weeks ago but was only reported on Thursday.
According to Bird, the five-year-old was told by a lunchroom supervisor to stay inside a small unlocked storage closet, normally used to store toys, as a form of discipline.
“The Lunchroom Supervisor has been put on home assignment pending the outcome of an investigation,” read a statement from the TDSB. “While we continue to investigate, the reported incident is very troubling and something that would be completely unacceptable.”
CityNews spoke with 5-year-old De’Anna Felix, who says she just wanted her pizza warmed up during lunch time and she admits to misbehaving when the lunchroom supervisor didn’t respond to her requests. De’Anna says she felt “sad” when she was put in the closet “because I felt alone.”
Le’Anna Felix, De’Anna’s mom, says she is keeping her daughter at home and she is determined to see that justice is done.
“I do not feel De’Anna is safe at school. I don’t trust them, they failed me,” said the mother of four. “It’s not something I’m going to let the school board sweep under the carpet. If it wasn’t my child it could have been another child.”
Toronto police say they have opened an investigation but have very few details as they have yet to speak with the victim and witnesses of the alleged incident.
