On a sweltering day, a young girl with autism, Ruby, was unintentionally trapped inside a sports shed at Manning Gardens Public School in Taree, Australia. Her father, Matthew Everingham, and his partner arrived to pick her up but couldn’t locate her among the other children. Concerned, they were informed that Ruby was missing and eventually found her in tears, escorted by a special needs aide.
According to Matthew, Ruby, who has a photographic memory, may have hidden in the shed during an outdoor activity. Despite believing she chose to hide, he alleged that she was locked inside without proper ventilation or air conditioning, causing distress in the extreme heat.
Matthew criticized the school for not promptly notifying him of Ruby’s absence and stated that the NSW Department of Education facilitated her transfer to a different school. The department issued an apology to the family, confirming that the incident was reported to the police and safety measures have been implemented to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Ensuring student safety is a top priority, the school has improved its supervision protocols and secured the sports equipment room to allow opening from the inside. Counseling services are being provided to the family to support their well-being.
In response to the incident, the Mirror has sought a comment from Manning Gardens Public School.
