South Fulton mother waiting for answers about nonverbal daughter's injury at school
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - The family of a nonverbal 4-year-old student with special needs at South Fulton's Love T. Nolan Elementary School claims her school dropped the ball after an injury in the classroom in September.
Jernae Johnson says the school called her to report that 4-year-old Jerlani had gone to the school nurse to be treated with ice following an accident with a Lego brick. She says the school insisted her daughter was fine, but when Jerlani got home she had a red mark on her arm near her elbow that later developed into a snake or whip-like scab.
"It's traumatizing," Johnson said. "I want to be sure that my child is safe, and no harm is being brought to her, and if I'm not there, it's really traumatizing for me."
Johnson isn't 100% sure what was described by the school as an accident is one. She calls into question why an accident report was not filled out immediately.
The assistant principal stated that no incident report was done because she wasn't bleeding," the South Fulton mother said. " Like, why wasn't anything being reported?"
Johnson, who moved here to Georgia specifically for autism services, says after complaining about how the incident was originally handled, the school wrote an accident report that was not accurate.
In a statement, Fulton County Schools confirmed an investigation into the 4-year-old's injury is underway:
"Fulton County Schools takes allegations of abuse or unjust injury seriously and follows an established protocol for inquiry and/or investigation. We can confirm that the district's internal audit division is investigating the allegations, but we are unable to elaborate on details while the investigation is in process."
Johnson has been waiting nearly a month for a resolution. She describes her daughter as very lovable, sometimes challenging, clingy, and bright.
In the meantime, she says her little girl will not return to Love T. Nolan Elementary and will be, for now, homeschooled.
Fulton County Schools revealed its accident policy requires staffers to administer first aid and to contact the parent or guardian after the incident. Additionally, every accident should be reported immediately to a supervisor and a detailed accident report should be completed and entered into the school system's risk management information system within 24 hours, or as soon as practical. The district says the policy, which has been in place since 2016, requires the original document to remain at the school or facility for 5 years, unless there is an open matter or claim pending.
