BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A Bed-Stuy elementary school is being investigated by the city after a 4-year-old boy left unnoticed and walked home alone last week, according to the Department of Education.
The Special Commissioner of Investigation for the Department of Education is looking into the incident at P.S. 59, at 211 Throop Ave. Pre-K student Symeir Talley-Jasper left the school and walked home without a coat in freezing weather, according to the DOE.
The student asked to use the bathroom at the school about 10 a.m. Thursday, got lost, left the school and walked home unsupervised to the Tompkins Houses, a block away, according to NY1.
"He looked really nervous, and I asked him if he was OK, and he said he was scared, and I asked him what happened, and he told me he was in the bathroom, it was dark and no one was there," Symeir's mother, Quantasia Jasper, told NY1.
On Friday, P.S. 59's principal Dawn Best sent a letter to parents explaining the incident, and outlined steps the school is taking to ensure children's safety in the future.
"An emergency meeting was held with all staff today to discuss school safety protocols," the letter reads.
"In addition, we are in the process of installing alarms on all secondary doors. Furthermore, we previously were approved to receive video surveillance cameras in our school, and we will make every effort to secure the cameras as quickly as possible."
The incident at P.S. 59 occurred just days after police found the remains of Avonte Oquendo, a 14-year-old autistic boy who disappeared from his Long Island City school in October.
Although Symeir was not hurt, his parents are pulling him out of P.S. 59, according to NY1.
