[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
A mother in Kentucky is speaking out and taking legal action after every parent’s nightmare became her reality in a matter of moments.
Leslie Weston is suing her local school district in the city of Lexington following a terrifying incident involving her seven-year-old son, who has autism and is predominantly nonverbal. According to reports from People and others on Monday, the child managed to leave his classroom at Meadowthorpe Elementary last November and ended up alone on one of Lexington’s busiest roads — all without anyone at the school realizing he was gone.
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In an emotional interview with local news outlet LEX18 News this week, Weston called the situation “the worst day of my life.” And as details continue to emerge, it’s painfully clear why.
The lawsuit paints a deeply troubling picture. According to the filing, Weston’s son was placed in a moderate to severe disability classroom, where staff were allegedly well aware of his strong fixation on a window. And yet on that day, something critical was overlooked. The suit stated:
“The window in the MSD classroom was left open and unattended.”
What allegedly followed is almost impossible to comprehend:
“[The child went] entirely unnoticed by any of the adults in the MSD classroom, [and] climbed out the open window and exited the building.”
From there, the child wandered the school grounds, reportedly visible on security cameras, before finding his way through a hole in a fence and onto a busy road. Strangers driving by were the ones who noticed first, calling police after spotting a young child running dangerously close to traffic.
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In a twist that feels both surreal and heartbreaking, it wasn’t even the school that initially realized he was missing. After animal control officers brought the boy to a hospital in distress, staff there were the ones who made the connection. The lawsuit stated:
“[The boy] was chewing on a ‘Recess’ sticker and [hospital staff] decided to call Meadowthorpe Elementary nearby to see if they were missing a student.”
Let that sink in for a moment.
The lawsuit goes further, stating:
“Child Protective Services conducted an investigation, and findings of abandonment, supervision neglect, and threat of physical abuse have been substantiated based on this investigation.”
Weston claimed in her lawsuit that her son has “…sustained severe and permanent injuries and damage.”
And emotionally, for her and her son alike, the toll is just as profound. Weston told LEX18 News:
“My mind just went straight for the worst because this is my biggest fear and I’ve always thought, ‘What if that happens?’ or you see news stories and you’re like, ‘I hope that never happens to my son,’ and then it did. It was all of my worst fears coming to life.”
Ugh. There’s something especially haunting about that last line. All involved are EXTREMELY lucky he was found safe and returned to his family. It’s obviously already awful enough what happened, but it could have wound up being so much worse.
Here is more from Weston (below):
As for the school district, Fayette County Public Schools declined to comment, telling People they do not provide statements on pending litigation.
Alas, for now, a family is left to pick up the pieces, ask questions that demand answers, and hope accountability will follow…
To learn more about autism and people’s lived experiences, check out The Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
[Image created for PerezHilton.com]
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