Nationwide — Sierra Waire-Minix, an African American mother from Galveston, Texas, says her 10-year-old son with special needs was found locked inside a classroom after school hours, prompting an investigation and calls for accountability.
On Thursday afternoon, Waire-Minix went to pick up her son, Jrew, from the bus stop as she does every day. When he didn’t arrive, panic set in. She began calling the school and others, fearing that something had happened.
“My initial thought was, ‘What is happening? Where is my child? Did anybody take my child?’” she told ABC 13.
Jrew, a fifth grader at Weis Middle School, receives occupational, physical, and speech therapy as part of his special education support. His mother said he has intellectual disabilities and relies on assistance for daily routines and decision-making.
After multiple calls, Waire-Minix said the school’s assistant principal informed her that Jrew had been found alone inside a locked classroom, asleep. She rushed to the school to pick him up.
Although relieved that her son was safe, Waire-Minix said neither the school staff nor the Galveston Independent School District explained how the situation occurred. “I want answers. I want accountability. I would like to have this whole situation evaluated,” she said.
A district spokesperson confirmed that an incident happened at Weis Middle School after hours and said an internal investigation is ongoing, but no further details were shared.
Waire-Minix is urging the district to strengthen safety procedures and train staff to prevent similar incidents. “They need to crack down on rules. They need to be more strict. They need to add more training,” she said.