On a scorching hot day, a young girl diagnosed with autism was inadvertently trapped inside a sports shed at her school. Matthew Everingham, the father of 8-year-old Ruby, expressed concern as he and his partner Brooke arrived to pick her up from Manning Gardens Public School in Taree, Australia. They couldn’t locate Ruby among the other children, leading to a frantic search on October 15.
After a group of students mentioned that Ruby was missing, Matthew eventually spotted his daughter in tears as she was escorted out by a special needs aide. Allegedly, Ruby had been locked inside the shed for about five minutes before being discovered. The incident occurred during an outdoor activity themed “pirate day” at the school, where children with special needs were grouped together, making supervision challenging for teachers and aides.
Matthew mentioned that Ruby, who possesses a photographic memory and a fascination with survival TV shows, might have chosen to hide in the shed but believed she was locked in. He criticized the lack of air conditioning or ventilation in the shed, stating that Ruby would have suffered in the extreme heat.
Following the incident, the NSW Department of Education reached out to Matthew and relocated Ruby to a different school. A department spokesperson confirmed that they had met with the family to apologize and reported the matter to the police. The school has since enhanced its safety protocols, ensuring that the sports equipment room door can now be opened from the inside. Additionally, counseling services have been offered to support the family during this time.
The Mirror attempted to contact Manning Gardens Public School for their input on the situation.