LAFAYETTE PARISH — A Lafayette mother is speaking out after her 7-year-old daughter was dropped off at the wrong location following a mix-up at Evangeline Elementary. Destany Joseph says her daughter, who was scheduled for tutoring, was instead sent home on the bus—leaving her alone at the house while Joseph was at work.
“I realized I had a lot of notifications from the Ring camera at home, and when I checked it, it was my 7-year-old daughter alone on the porch,” Joseph said.
Joseph was shocked by the situation. “I’m trusting them (Lafayette Parish School Sytem) to take care of my kids, and I’m trusting that they’re in good hands. They’re failing our kids. This is serious. They’re dropping our kids at the bus stop and there’s no one at home,” she said, visibly upset.
Joseph explained that this wasn’t the first time her children had been affected by similar miscommunications. “The first time, my older daughter was sent home on the bus when she was supposed to stay for aftercare,” Joseph recalled.
An LPSS spokesperson acknowledged the latest incident, attributing it to a communication breakdown with a substitute teacher. Tracy Wirtz, communications specialist for LPSS said Joseph’s daughter was mistakenly sent home despite being scheduled to attend tutoring at the school.
Lisa Barton, another parent, expressed concern over the lack of communication and accountability. “That should not happen,” Barton said. “It’s scary for someone to experience something like that.”
In response, LPSS stated they are reinforcing communication protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Joseph said that since the ordeal, both the school’s principal and a representative from the school board have apologized.
LPSS says it is working to ensure that such mistakes do not happen again.
