An Indianapolis mother pulled her first-grade daughter from school after the child was left behind at an apple orchard following a field trip. The mother received a call informing her that her daughter had been left behind, prompting her to rush to the school to figure out what had happened. The mother was told by the teacher that a headcount had been done before leaving the field trip location, but the mother pointed out that if it had been accurate, her daughter would not have been missing. The daughter, Cianni, was eventually found by a passerby and taken to an office until the principal retrieved her.
Cianni’s experience left her feeling heartbroken and distraught, as she believed she was lost and would never see her parents again. The mother, Dearra Allen, was confused and felt like she was being lied to about who was chaperoning her daughter at the time of the incident. She decided to withdraw both of her daughters from the school following the incident. Allen expressed disbelief that the school left her daughter behind, as previous field trips had gone off without any issues. The school district released a statement emphasizing their commitment to the safety and well-being of their students.
According to the mother, the drive time between the school and orchard is about an hour, leaving Cianni without any school care for approximately 2.5 hours. The incident occurred during a field trip involving two classes and approximately 50 students in total. Cianni’s mother remains puzzled by the situation and feels that the school was not forthcoming with information about the chaperones present during the field trip. The family was not reunited until 4:30 p.m. on the day of the incident, causing distress to both Cianni and her parents.
The school district assured that they took immediate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of the student once they became aware of the situation. They emphasized their dedication to upholding the trust of their families and the community by providing full support to address any concerns. However, the mother’s decision to withdraw her daughters from the school speaks to the deep impact the incident had on the family. Cianni’s experience of being left behind at the apple orchard highlights the importance of proper supervision and accountability during school field trips to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
