School Sent Girl to Mental Hospital Without Telling Mom, Family Says

A Jacksonville family is the second in recent months to turn to the media for help after accusing Florida public school officials of taking action in sticky situations without placing calls home.

Back in January, a school in Tarpon Springs was brought into the spotlight after officials decided to diaper a 6-year-old following an in-class accident.

This time, a Jacksonville family says a teenage girl was put in a mental hospital by school officials who didn’t let the family know what was going on until the end of the day.

The latest case unfolded Monday when a student at Wolfson High School was admitted to the Mental Health Resource Center North after school officials say she threatened to commit suicide, News4Jax reported.

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While the family isn’t surprised that help may have been needed for the girl they describe as a long-term bullying victim, they are distraught that no one notified them until the child’s mother showed up at the school in the afternoon to pick her up and had to inquire as to her whereabouts.

“I was like how could they take her to the mental facility,” the girl’s older sister told the station. “No one called us.”

The Duval County School District maintains its schools do not need parental permission to have a child admitted to a facility in a case such as this, but officials say the family should have been notified.

The incident is under review and so are the allegations of bullying against the teen.

In the Pinellas County incident, district officials also maintained the parents should have been notified. In that case, a 6-year-old girl was changed into boys’ clothing and diapered after peeing in her pants during class. The child said she asked to go to the bathroom, but was denied.

“To belittle my child and put her in a diaper, that is crazy,” the girl’s mother, Goldie Kingett said at the time of the January incident at Sunset Hills Elementary.

When should schools call home? Share your opinions by commenting below.

Image via Shutterstock

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