A child with autism was unintentionally trapped inside a sports shed at her school during a sweltering day. Ruby, an 8-year-old student, was left in the shed without air conditioning or proper ventilation, according to her father, Matthew Everingham. The incident occurred at Manning Gardens Public School in Taree, Australia, on a day when temperatures reached 31 degrees Celsius.
Matthew realized something was amiss when he and his partner, Brooke, arrived to pick up Ruby from school but couldn’t find her among the other children. Concerned classmates informed the parents that Ruby was missing, prompting a search. After a few minutes, Ruby was discovered inside the shed by a special needs aide, visibly upset.
The father expressed his frustration, claiming that the school’s grouping of students with higher needs made supervision challenging. He mentioned that Ruby, who has a photographic memory and an interest in survival TV shows, might have sought refuge in the shed during an outdoor activity themed “pirate day.” Despite speculating that Ruby may have hidden voluntarily, Matthew insisted that she was locked inside the shed.
Describing the shed as lacking proper cooling or airflow, Matthew voiced his concerns about Ruby enduring the heat while trapped inside. Although he stated that the school did not contact him directly during the incident, he reported that the NSW Department of Education intervened by relocating Ruby to another school.
In response to the incident, a spokesperson from the NSW Department of Education acknowledged the oversight and assured that steps had been taken to enhance student safety protocols. The school has since reviewed its supervision procedures and ensured that the sports equipment room’s door can be opened from the inside. Counseling services have been offered to the family to support their well-being.
The Mirror attempted to obtain a comment from Manning Gardens Public School regarding the incident.